AS Colour Shirts for Custom Branding: The Complete Australian Guide

If you’ve spent any time sourcing custom branded apparel in Australia, chances are you’ve come across AS Colour. Originally founded in New Zealand, this brand has become one of the most respected names in quality blank garments across Australia — and for very good reason. Whether you’re outfitting a team in Sydney, preparing merchandise for a Brisbane trade show, or sourcing staff uniforms for a Melbourne startup, the AS Colour shirt has become a go-to foundation for high-quality custom branding projects. But what makes these shirts stand apart from standard promotional apparel, and how do you get the most from them when ordering for your business or organisation? This guide covers everything you need to know.

What Is AS Colour and Why Does It Matter for Custom Merch?

AS Colour is a wholesale and retail garment brand known for its commitment to fit, fabric quality, and ethical manufacturing. Unlike many promotional blank garments that prioritise rock-bottom cost over all else, AS Colour products sit in a mid-to-premium price bracket — and the quality reflects that. Their range includes t-shirts, polos, hoodies, singlets, sweatshirts, and more, all designed with consistent sizing, clean construction, and a retail-forward aesthetic.

For organisations ordering custom branded apparel, this matters enormously. When staff, clients, or event attendees receive an AS Colour shirt versus a generic promotional tee, the difference in feel, drape, and wear is immediately apparent. People are far more likely to wear — and keep wearing — a shirt they genuinely enjoy. This is the holy grail of promotional merchandise: garments that act as walking billboards long after the initial handout.

AS Colour also invests heavily in ethical supply chain transparency, which increasingly matters to Australian businesses that care about corporate social responsibility. If sustainability and ethics factor into your procurement decisions, that’s worth noting.

Popular AS Colour Shirt Styles for Branding

The AS Colour range is broad, but a few styles consistently top the list for custom branding projects:

• Staple Tee (5001) – The workhorse of the range. A mid-weight 180gsm cotton tee with a clean, unisex fit. Ideal for staff uniforms, event giveaways, and conference merchandise.
• Heavy Tee (5002) – A heavier 250gsm cotton option for those wanting a more substantial garment, popular with gyms, trades businesses, and workwear applications.
• College Tee (5003) – A relaxed fit with a slightly wider body. Well-suited to casual brand activations, university merchandise, and youth-focused campaigns.
• Paper Tee (4001) – A lightweight 135gsm jersey option, perfect for warmer climates. Especially popular in Queensland, the Northern Territory, and Western Australia where lighter fabrics are appreciated year-round.
• Boxy Tee (5074) – An oversized, fashion-forward style increasingly requested for retail merch and creative industry brands wanting a more contemporary look.

Understanding which style suits your audience is just as important as the decoration choice itself. You can explore more about how shirts and polos compare for different branding needs before committing to a style direction.

Decoration Methods for AS Colour Shirts: What Works Best

One of the reasons AS Colour shirts are so popular in the custom merchandise world is that they take decoration exceptionally well. The consistent fabric weave and pre-shrunk construction mean decorators get reliable, repeatable results — something that’s harder to guarantee with lower-quality blanks.

Screen Printing

Screen printing remains the gold standard for decorating AS Colour shirts at scale. It delivers vibrant, long-lasting results and is cost-effective once setup fees are spread across a reasonable run size. Most decorators in Australia recommend screen printing for orders of 24 pieces or more.

If you’re ordering AS Colour shirts for a Perth conference, an Adelaide footy club event, or a Canberra government agency activation, screen printing is almost certainly your most economical option at volume. Be mindful that each colour in your design requires a separate screen, so simpler artwork in one to three colours will keep costs manageable.

It’s worth understanding the difference in lead times between techniques — our breakdown of turnaround times for screen printing vs digital printing is a handy reference when planning project timelines.

Direct-to-Garment (DTG) Printing

DTG printing suits smaller runs or designs with full-colour complexity — photographic images, gradients, or intricate multi-colour artwork. The AS Colour Staple and Heavy Tee are particularly well-suited to DTG because of their high cotton content (DTG works best on 100% cotton or blends with at least 50% cotton).

For a Gold Coast event merchandise supplier running short personalised runs, DTG offers flexibility without high setup costs. Minimum order quantities can be as low as one piece for some decorators, making it ideal for sample orders or limited-edition drops.

Sublimation Printing

While sublimation isn’t suited to standard cotton AS Colour shirts (it requires polyester or poly-blend fabrics), it’s worth knowing about if you’re also considering polyester activewear alongside your core AS Colour range. Learn more about how sublimation works on custom shirts if your project involves performance or activewear pieces.

Embroidery

Embroidery delivers a premium, tactile finish that feels more corporate and polished than print — ideal for polos, outerwear, and staff uniforms where brand perception matters. AS Colour hoodies and heavier shirts like the Heavy Tee work well with embroidery. For lighter-weight styles like the Paper Tee, the fabric may require backing stabiliser, so discuss this with your decorator before finalising artwork.

Sizing, Fit, and Ordering Considerations

One of the most common pain points in group apparel orders is sizing. AS Colour is known for its retail-influenced sizing — their garments often fit slightly differently to traditional promotional blanks that run looser. If your audience is accustomed to generic promotional tees, sizing up by one size may be worth considering for comfort.

When ordering for a mixed group — say, a Sydney corporate team of 30 staff — it’s standard practice to provide a size run chart and collect individual size preferences in advance. AS Colour publishes detailed size guides with measurements for chest, body length, and sleeve, which helps remove guesswork.

Minimum Order Quantities

MOQs vary depending on the decorator and the decoration method used. For screen printing, expect a minimum of around 24–50 pieces per colour/design combination, though some decorators in Melbourne and Brisbane will accept smaller runs with a higher per-unit rate. DTG and heat transfer often have lower MOQs, sometimes starting at just 5–10 pieces.

AS Colour garments themselves can typically be purchased in smaller quantities through authorised wholesale accounts, though pricing naturally improves with volume. If you’re ordering for a large event, the per-unit savings at 100+ pieces versus 24 pieces can be significant.

Turnaround Times

For a standard screen-printed AS Colour shirt order, allow two to three weeks from artwork sign-off for most Australian decorators. Rush jobs can sometimes be accommodated in five to seven business days, but typically attract a surcharge. Factor in shipping time if you’re ordering from a decorator in another state — a Darwin organisation ordering from a Melbourne supplier should plan accordingly.

If your project is part of a larger merchandise suite — perhaps alongside branded travel mugs, custom USB drives, or straw tote bags — coordinate your timelines carefully so everything arrives together for your event or campaign launch.

Budgeting for AS Colour Shirts in Your Merchandise Program

AS Colour shirts sit at a higher price point than basic promotional tees, and it’s important to budget accordingly. A standard Staple Tee in a plain colour purchased at wholesale for a medium-sized run might land somewhere between $18–$30 per unit before decoration, depending on colour, size, and quantity. Add screen printing costs (typically $4–$12 per unit depending on colours and run size) and you’re looking at a finished product in the $25–$45 range for most projects.

That might seem like a step up from a $10 promotional tee — but consider the value equation. A high-quality, well-fitted shirt that someone wears 50 times delivers far more brand impressions than a cheap garment that gets worn twice before being discarded. For organisations building a genuine brand culture, the investment is easily justified.

For businesses also running complementary branded programs, consider how your apparel budget fits alongside other merchandise categories. Items like eco-friendly recycled PET giveaways or branded thermos drinking bottles can round out a cohesive campaign at a range of price points.

Who Should Be Using AS Colour Shirts for Custom Branding?

The honest answer? Almost any organisation that cares about how its brand is perceived. That said, there are a few sectors where AS Colour shirts are particularly well-suited:

• Tech and creative startups – The clean, retail aesthetic aligns with modern brand identities and appeals to younger workforces in cities like Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane.
• Hospitality and events – Staff uniforms that look polished and feel comfortable during long shifts.
• Retail and lifestyle brands – Merchandise lines where the garment quality reflects the brand’s premium positioning.
• Universities and TAFEs – Orientation merchandise and student club apparel where fit and wearability drive whether students actually use the product.
• Corporate gifting programs – A quality AS Colour shirt as part of a welcome kit or staff gift carries genuine perceived value.

If your organisation is assembling a comprehensive staff gift pack, AS Colour shirts pair beautifully with items like winter branded blankets and beanies or custom varsity jackets for a cohesive seasonal merchandise bundle.

Tips for Getting the Best Results from Your AS Colour Shirt Order

Before you finalise your order, a few practical points worth keeping in mind:

• Request physical samples before committing — AS Colour garments are stocked by many Australian wholesale distributors, meaning you can often get a blank sample quickly to assess fit and fabric before placing a full order.
• Prepare print-ready artwork — Vector files (AI, EPS, or PDF) are ideal for screen printing. For DTG, high-resolution PNG or TIFF files with transparent backgrounds work best.
• Confirm PMS colours upfront — If your brand colours are critical (such as for government or corporate clients), request PMS-matched inks and approve a physical strike-off proof before the full run is printed.
• Consider colour-matched garments — AS Colour offers a wide palette. Choosing a garment colour that closely matches your brand makes decoration simpler and often improves the visual result.
• Don’t forget care instructions — Advise recipients on washing guidelines. AS Colour shirts are generally machine washable, but turning them inside-out and using cold water extends the print life considerably.

You might also want to consider how your shirt branding strategy fits into broader brand visibility efforts — from vehicle logo applications to custom stickers for packaging and signage, a consistent visual identity across all touchpoints amplifies your impact.

Conclusion: Key Takeaways for Ordering AS Colour Shirts

Choosing an AS Colour shirt for your next custom branding project is a decision that prioritises quality, wearability, and brand impact over a race to the lowest unit price. Here’s what to keep in mind as you move forward:

• AS Colour shirts are available in a range of styles suited to different audiences, from lightweight summer tees to heavyweight staple garments — choose based on your use case and climate.
• Screen printing delivers the best value at volume, while DTG suits small runs and complex artwork; always discuss options with your decorator based on your specific artwork and quantity.
• Budget realistically — finished AS Colour shirts with decoration typically run $25–$45 per unit, but the quality justifies the investment for organisations where brand perception matters.
• Get sizing right early — collect individual size preferences where possible, and use AS Colour’s detailed size guide to avoid costly remakes.
• Plan your timeline carefully — allow at least two to three weeks from artwork approval for standard orders, and coordinate with any other merchandise items to ensure everything arrives on schedule.

Whether you’re a growing Sydney startup building a staff culture, a Perth events agency sourcing conference merchandise, or a Melbourne not-for-profit preparing for a fundraising campaign, the AS Colour shirt is one of the most versatile and effective tools in your branded apparel toolkit.