How Much Does Custom Hoodie Printing Cost in Melbourne?
"How much for a custom hoodie?" is the most common question we get, and it's also the hardest to answer with one number - because there isn't one. Print method, order size, number of colours, and number of print locations all move the price, sometimes by a lot. Here's what actually drives the cost, so you can get a realistic figure before you request a quote.
The Short Answer
For a bulk order (25+ units), custom hoodies through Melbourne Merch typically land somewhere in the $35-$60 per unit range depending on print method, blank quality, and number of colours or locations. Small sample-rate orders (1-9 units) cost more per unit, since setup effort is spread across fewer garments - as a reference point, a single-location hoodie sample runs at $85 per unit.
These are ballpark figures, not a quote - the only way to get an exact number is to send your artwork and quantity through, since colours, placements, and blank choice all shift the final price.
What Actually Moves The Price
Order quantity. This is the biggest lever by far. Pricing steps down at volume tiers - typically 25, 50, 100, 250, and 500+ units - because setup costs get divided across more garments. An order of 30 hoodies and an order of 300 can have a meaningfully different per-unit price for exactly the same design.
Print method. Screen printing has a setup fee of around $60 per colour, per print location - a one-time cost, not per unit - which is why it's most cost-effective at higher volumes and less so on small runs. DTF has no setup fees at all, so a full-colour design costs the same to set up as a single-colour one, which makes it the better value option on smaller or more detailed orders. Embroidery pricing scales more with stitch count and coverage than colour count.
Number of colours. For screen printing specifically, every extra colour in the design adds another screen and another setup fee. A one-colour logo is cheap to set up; a five-colour design steps the minimum order quantity up too, since more screens need to be justified across more units.
Number of print locations. A logo on the chest only is cheaper than a chest logo plus a back print plus a sleeve detail. Each additional location is effectively a second (or third) print job on the same garment.
Blank quality. A basic fleece hoodie and a premium heavyweight blank aren't priced the same before a single colour of ink goes on. If budget is a hard constraint, the blank is often the easiest place to adjust without touching the design.
A Rough Guide By Order Size
| Order Size | What Usually Makes Sense | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1-9 units | DTF or embroidery, sample rate applies | Screen print's 25-unit minimum doesn't apply to DTF or embroidery |
| 10-24 units | DTF or embroidery | Below screen print's standard MOQ; no setup fees on DTF |
| 25-49 units | Screen print (simple design) or DTF (detailed design) | Screen print's 25-unit minimum kicks in and setup starts paying off |
| 50-100+ units | Screen print for bold designs, embroidery for logos | Setup costs are spread thin, per-unit price drops meaningfully |
| 250+ units | Screen print almost always wins on cost | Setup fee becomes negligible per unit at this volume |
Don't Forget These When Budgeting
- Sample orders (1-9 units) are charged at a flat rate, not credited against a later bulk order - factor this in if you're planning to sample first and reorder in bulk later.
- Reprints waive setup fees if the artwork hasn't changed, so a repeat order of the same design is cheaper the second time around.
- Shipping and rush fees sit outside the per-unit garment price - factor in a few extra days and dollars if your event timeline is tight. Our event merch planning timeline covers how far out to order so you're not paying rush rates unnecessarily.
Getting An Exact Price
The fastest way to get a real number is to send through your logo, rough quantity, and preferred hoodie style. We'll come back with a quote - usually within a business day - that accounts for print method, colours, and blank choice, rather than a ballpark that changes once we see the actual artwork. If you're still deciding between print methods, our hoodie printing methods comparison is worth a read first.
Ready for a number you can actually budget against? Get a quote or browse hoodies and sweats to see blank options and starting prices.