Most Melbourne print shops make you email for a quote before they’ll show you a single number. We can’t publish every price either — garments, volumes and artwork all move the figure — but we can show you how bulk t-shirt pricing actually works in the Melbourne market in 2026, with the typical ranges to budget around. Then your exact number is free: build your combo in our instant quote builder and it lands in your inbox with a free mockup within 24 hours.
The three things that set your price
1. The garment. The blank shirt is usually the biggest cost. Across the Melbourne market, lightweight everyday tees (~180gsm) typically land around $8–12 each, quality midweight combed-cotton tees (190–210gsm) around $12–16, and retail-grade heavyweights (220gsm+) around $16–22. Hoodies commonly run $28–40+. Trade and hi-vis garments vary with brand and compliance rating.
2. The print. A single DTF print position (front or back) typically adds around $5–8 per shirt in this market; front-and-back combos roughly $9–14. Unlike screen printing, colour count doesn’t change DTF pricing — a full-colour photographic print costs the same as one-colour text.
3. The quantity. Volume is where bulk printing gets sharp. Discounts commonly climb from nothing at a 10-shirt minimum to 20–30% off at the several-hundred-unit mark. As a market-typical worked example: 25 quality midweight tees with a front logo usually lands somewhere in the $400–500 all-in region; 100 lightweight event shirts commonly comes in around $1,100–1,500.
The costs to watch for
Setup and screen fees. Traditional screen printers often add $20–90 per colour in setup. DTF has no screens — it’s why we charge $0 setup, always — and it’s worth asking any printer about before comparing quotes.
Artwork fees. If your logo is a blurry JPEG, someone has to fix it. Melbourne shops charge anywhere from $40 to $150+; our design studio starts at $49 and you approve the result before print.
Delivery. Ask whether it’s included. We deliver free across Melbourne metro on orders of 50+ shirts.
GST: the quiet 10%
Some quotes look cheap because they’re ex-GST. Every quote we send includes GST — the number you see is the number you pay.
So what should you budget?
For a typical small-business order — 25 quality tees, front logo — the Melbourne market generally says budget in the mid-hundreds all-in. For 100 event shirts on lightweight blanks, low-to-mid four figures. For retail merch on premium heavyweights, work backwards from your sell price: with market-typical print costs of roughly $15–28 per unit and a $50–60 retail price, the margin story usually takes care of itself.
Ranges are useful for budgeting; your job deserves an exact number. Build your combo in the instant quote builder — garment, print area, quantity — and we’ll reply with your precise price and a free mockup within 24 hours. No payment, no phone tag, and if another Melbourne printer has quoted you, bring it along: we’ll tell you honestly how it stacks up.