How much do custom t-shirts cost in Australia?

Custom t-shirt prices depend on four things: the print method, the number of colours or the design complexity, the garment you choose, and the quantity. Rather than a single figure, here is what moves the price — so you can brief accurately and get a fast, accurate quote.

Quantity is the biggest factor

Screen printing has a setup cost per colour, so the price per shirt drops a lot as the quantity rises — a team run works out far cheaper per shirt than a single. DTG and DTF have little setup, so they are better value for small numbers.

This is the single most useful thing to understand before you brief a job. Screen printing front-loads its cost into the screens, so those are spread thinner with every extra shirt — which is why the per-shirt price for a club, a corporate order or an event can fall away sharply as the numbers climb. DTG and DTF barely move on setup, so ten shirts cost roughly ten times one. If you are ordering in volume, tell us the quantity up front; it often changes which method gives you the best value.

Print method and colours

A one or two colour screen print is economical at volume. A detailed, full-colour design suits DTG or DTF, priced more by print size than colour count.

Colour count only matters for screen printing, where each colour is a separate screen and a separate setup. A three-colour design is dearer to set up than a one-colour one, though the difference shrinks across a big run. With DTG and DTF the number of colours is irrelevant — a full-colour photograph costs the same to print as a single word — so what moves the price there is the size of the print and the garment. A palm-sized chest logo is cheaper than an all-over back print.

Garment and placement

A basic tee costs less than a premium or organic garment or a hoodie. Extra print locations (front and back, or a sleeve) add a little too.

The blank garment is a real slice of the total, and it is the part you control most directly. A standard cotton tee is the economical base; a premium heavyweight, an organic or ethically certified blank, or a hoodie costs more before a drop of ink is added. Placement stacks on top: a single front print is the baseline, and each additional location — a back, a sleeve, a chest badge — is effectively another print to set up and run. Deciding placements before you quote keeps the number accurate.

How to get an accurate quote quickly

You will get a faster, tighter quote if you send four things at once: the artwork (a vector file such as AI, EPS or PDF is ideal), the quantity, the garment or fabric you want, and where the print goes. With those in hand we can pick the best-value method and give you a firm number rather than a range. If you are not sure about the garment, tell us the use — team wear, staff uniforms, event merch, giveaways — and we will suggest options.

Why we quote rather than list prices

With so many variables, a fixed price would be wrong for most jobs — quoting means the number matches your exact order, and we can suggest the best-value method. A published price would either be padded to cover the dearest case or too low to be real, and either way it would mislead you. Quoting is not a stalling tactic; it is how you get a number that fits your job instead of someone else’s.

Frequently asked questions

Do you have a minimum order?

DTG and DTF let us print a single shirt with no minimum. Screen printing works from small runs and becomes the best value as the quantity grows, so the right method depends partly on how many you need.

Is it cheaper to supply my own shirts?

Sometimes, but not always — we buy blanks at trade rates, and supplied garments still have to be tested for how they take ink. Send us what you are thinking and we will tell you honestly whether it saves you anything.

Does a full-colour design cost more?

On screen printing, yes, because each colour is a separate screen. On DTG and DTF, no — full colour costs the same as one colour, so a detailed design is often best value on those methods.

Will reordering later be cheaper?

For screen printing, a reorder can be more economical because the setup work is already done. Keeping your artwork on file means repeat runs are quick to quote and turn around.

How far ahead should I order for an event?

Give yourself a comfortable buffer — artwork checks, garment stock and the print run all take time, and a rushed job leaves no room to fix a problem. For a dated event, ordering well ahead also means a reprint is possible if your numbers grow closer to the day. Send your details early and we will confirm a realistic timeline alongside the quote.

Tell us your design, garment and quantity on our t-shirt printing page or get a quote.