“How much does custom t-shirt printing cost?” is almost always the first question we get asked at our Ashmore and Surfers Paradise stores – and the honest answer is: it depends on a handful of factors that can move the price up or down a lot. Rather than throw out a single number that won’t actually match your job, here’s exactly what goes into the cost, so you can budget accurately before you ask for a quote.
The Factors That Actually Set Your Price
Every printed t-shirt quote comes down to five things:
- Quantity – the more shirts you order, the lower the cost per shirt.
- Number of print colours / design complexity – more colours or full-colour artwork can add setup cost, depending on the method used.
- Decoration method – screen printing, DTF and embroidery all have different cost structures (see our DTF vs screen printing guide for the full comparison).
- Garment type & brand – a basic tee, a premium cotton tee, a polo or a hi-vis workwear shirt all start from different blank prices.
- Print size & placement – a small left-chest logo costs less to apply than a large full-back print.
Blank Garment Cost vs Decorated Cost
It helps to separate the cost of the garment itself from the cost of decorating it. Blank garments in our range start from around $10, with pricing increasing for premium fabrics, polos, hoodies and workwear. The decoration (printing or embroidery) is then added on top, and that’s where quantity and method make the biggest difference.
How Quantity Changes Your Price Per Shirt
Because screen printing and embroidery both involve a setup step (making screens or digitising a logo), that setup cost gets divided across every shirt in the order. Order 10 shirts and the setup is a bigger chunk of each shirt’s price; order 100 and it barely registers per unit. This is the single biggest lever for bringing your per-shirt cost down, which is why we always ask about total quantity first when quoting a job.
Screen Printing Costs Explained
Our screen printing pricing is driven by quantity and number of colours. Each colour in your design needs its own screen, so a single-colour logo is cheaper to set up than a five-colour design. Once the screens are made, running extra shirts is fast, which is why screen printing is generally the most cost-effective option once you’re ordering in bulk (think team kits, event shirts or staff uniforms).
DTF Printing Costs Explained
Our DTF (direct-to-film) printing is priced more by print size than by number of colours, since it’s a digital process with no extra screens to make. That makes it the more affordable option for small quantities, full-colour designs, gradients or one-off shirts, even though the cost per shirt doesn’t drop as sharply at higher volumes as screen printing does.
Embroidery Costs Explained
Our embroidery is priced on stitch count rather than colour count – a small, simple logo embroiders quickly, while a large, highly detailed design takes longer to sew and costs more. There’s a one-off digitising fee to convert your logo into a stitch file the first time you order, but that file is then saved and reused for free on every reorder. Embroidery tends to suit polos, caps and workwear better than large graphic designs on t-shirts.
Costs to Watch For (and Ones You Won’t Get Hit With Here)
Some printers add a minimum order surcharge if your quantity is small, or charge a fresh setup fee every time you reorder the same design. At Xpress Tees there’s no set minimum order, and every job is decorated in-house across our two Gold Coast stores rather than outsourced, which keeps the pricing straightforward and avoids the extra handling fees that come with a middleman.
How to Get an Accurate Price for Your Job
Because so much depends on your specific quantity, garment choice and design, the only way to get a number you can actually rely on is to send us the details. Most quotes are turned around quickly, and most jobs are printed and ready within 7 to 10 business days once artwork is approved.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the cheapest way to print custom t-shirts?
For larger quantities of a simple, one or two-colour design, screen printing is usually the cheapest per shirt. For small quantities or full-colour designs, DTF printing usually works out more cost-effective because there’s no per-colour setup cost.
Is there a minimum order for custom t-shirt printing?
No, there’s no set minimum order at Xpress Tees. That said, ordering a larger quantity will generally lower your cost per shirt for screen printing and embroidery, since the setup cost is spread across more garments.
Does the print design affect the price?
Yes. For screen printing and embroidery, more colours or a more detailed design generally means more setup work and a higher cost. For DTF printing, the number of colours doesn’t change the price much, but a larger print size will.
How long does custom t-shirt printing take on the Gold Coast?
Most orders are completed within 7 to 10 business days from artwork approval, though this can vary depending on order size and the time of year.
Do you charge extra for full-colour designs?
It depends on the method. Full-colour designs generally cost more with screen printing (more screens needed) but not with DTF printing, since DTF handles unlimited colours as part of the same process.
Want an exact price for your job? Send us your quantity, garment choice and design and we will get back to you with a straightforward, no-obligation quote.