Das T-Shirt Automat

What Das T-Shirt Automat does

Das T-Shirt Automat is an Australian custom garment printing company headquartered in Naarm/Melbourne, operating four retail storefronts across Fitzroy, Kensington, Prahran and Preston and serving customers nationwide. It targets individuals, small businesses, brands, artists, charities and enterprise clients with no minimum order quantities and no digital setup fees, printing on t-shirts, hoodies, tote bags, mugs, kids' clothing, homewares and customer-supplied garments using premium blanks sourced primarily from AS Colour, Koa Goods and Colour Plane, with Gildan, Next Level and Qualitops available on request.

The company's core technology is an in-house multi-method garment decoration platform combining Direct-to-Garment (DTG/Ink) printing for short detailed runs, Direct-to-Film (DTF) transfer printing for versatile fabric coverage, traditional screen printing for cost-efficient bulk runs of 50+ units, and embroidery for durable workwear and headwear. Customers self-serve through a browser-based online custom designer that supports text, images, team-name placeholders and multiple decoration areas, with automated raster-image quality checks, reusable screen-print designs, and instant tiered unit pricing. A Rush Range of stocked blanks supports same-day collection from the Kensington store before an 11am cut-off, and dedicated bulk and design-help teams handle larger and more complex jobs.

Das operates a hybrid revenue model with six identifiable streams: transactional custom-garment sales to B2C and B2B customers via dasautomat.com.au and physical stores; recurring annual Merch Store ($100 AUD/year) and Dropship Portal subscriptions (Standard and Premium tiers, up to 30% off retail) for artists and brand partners; a $150 per-project fee for hosted charity fundraising campaigns on which Das retains garment-and-print cost and remits the rest to the cause; custom-quoted Live Customisation on-site event printing deployments across Australia; gift voucher sales (AUD $25-$250, 12-month expiry); and ancillary gift-wrapping and design-help services. Distribution combines self-serve e-commerce, four Melbourne storefronts, partner-hosted dropship portals, and on-site event printing, with charity outcomes including over $40,000 raised for Beyond Blue, $14,000+ for Clothing The Gaps and $11,000+ for Planned Parenthood through Das-hosted campaigns.

Name

Das T-Shirt Automat

Legal name

Das T-Shirt Automat

Website

https://dastshirtautomat.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Das T-Shirt Automat is an Australian custom garment printing company operating four Melbourne storefronts, offering no-minimum DTG, DTF, screen printing and embroidery services to individuals, small businesses, brands, artists and charities nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom garment printing services

NAICS

Commercial Printing (except Screen and Books) (323111), Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing (3152)

SIC

Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)

akta.pro primary industry

Tops & Shirts Cut & Sew (T-Shirts/Shirts/Blouses) (IMAOAEAE)

Keywords

• Custom garment printing
• Apparel decoration services
• Direct-to-garment printing
• Screen printing
• Embroidery services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kennington

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Custom Garment Printing Sales (B2C & B2B): Core revenue: unit-priced custom-printed apparel and merchandise sold via online customiser, in-store, and bulk-quote channels. Mix of small (1-50) DTG/DTF jobs and bulk (50+) screen-print/embroidery orders. Pricing scales by quantity tiers.
2. Merch Store Dropshipping Service: Annual $100 setup fee plus per-item margin retained by partner; Das handles printing, packing, shipping and pays partner profits to PayPal on the 1st of each month. Customers access Das's GOLD wholesale rates.
3. Dropship Portal Service: Annual portal fee for partners with established websites; partners receive up to 30% off retail rates and either ship direct to their customer or to themselves. Standard and Premium tiers available.
4. Fundraising Campaign Service: $150 project fee per campaign covers store setup and a dedicated project manager; Das retains garment+print cost per item and remits the remainder (organisational donation).
5. Live Customisation / Event Printing: On-site event printing service with custom quote per project; Das supplies machines and staff to personalise merchandise live at events across Australia.
6. Gift Voucher Sales: Digital and physical gift vouchers sold in fixed denominations ($25, $40, $50, $75, $100, $150, $250 AUD); 12-month expiry.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Das T-Shirt Automat operates a multi-method custom garment printing business in Melbourne, Australia, producing decorated apparel and merchandise (T-shirts, hoodies, tote bags, mugs, kids clothing, homewares, hats, activewear) using DTG ink printing, DTF transfer printing, screen printing and embroidery. Orders are accepted from a single unit to 1000+ with no minimums and no digital setup fees, fulfilled through an online custom designer, four physical Melbourne storefronts, bulk-quote, dropship and fundraising channels, with a Same-Day Rush Range and on-site Live Customisation event printing available.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Das Merch Shop: Hosted merchandise web store service operated on the Das Automat e-commerce platform, enabling artists and creators to sell custom-printed merchandise with Das handling production, packing and shipping.
• Das Gazette
• Give a Shirt
• Das-Cycling

Products and services

• Custom T-Shirt Printing The company's primary offering: custom garment printing in Melbourne/Naarm using DTG Ink Printing, DTF Transfer Printing, Screen Printing and Embroidery. No minimum orders and no digital setup fees. Prints on t-shirts, hoodies, tote bags, mugs, kids clothes and BYO garments, with blanks sourced from AS Colour, Koa Goods, Colour Plane, Gildan, Next Level and Qualitops.
• Short Run Printing Online self-serve printing service for small orders of 1-50 items using DTG Ink Printing or DTF Transfer Printing. Best suited to colourful and detailed prints with no setup fees and fast turnaround (5+ business days standard, 1-2 days for Rush Range).
• Bulk Printing Custom printing service for large orders of 50+ items, assessed case by case for accurate pricing and the most suitable print method (typically screen printing for cost efficiency on designs with up to 6 colours).
• Same Day Printing Express turnaround service from a select Rush Range of products. Online orders placed before 11am on weekdays can be collected after 3pm from the Kensington store; next-day options are available for later orders or postage; capped at 5 rush items per order.
• Live Customisation Pop-up on-site printing service for events. Das T-Shirt Automat sets up machines at the venue and personalises shirts, caps and tote bags for guests in real time. Available for events across Australia; requires only electricity and a 2m²+ countertop.
• Merch Store Dropshipping Fully hosted merch store service: Das T-Shirt Automat builds and hosts a personalised web store with a unique URL on their e-commerce platform, with orders feeding directly into the production queue. Includes GOLD-tier wholesale pricing, a $100 annual setup fee, waived card processing fees, and monthly profit payouts to the merchant's PayPal account.
• Dropship Portals Private ordering portals for merchants with established websites. Offers up to 30% off retail rates, 4-day fulfilment, and direct-to-customer or direct-to-merchant shipping. Annual fee with Standard and Premium tiers; explicitly not a direct integration with Shopify or WooCommerce.
• Fundraising Campaigns Temporary merch campaign store service for fundraising: Das T-Shirt Automat builds and hosts a unique-URL store for pre-orders, then batch prints, packs and posts. Includes a $150 project fee and dedicated project manager. Success stories include raising over $40k for Beyond Blue and over $14k for Clothing The Gaps.
• BYO Blanks Bring-your-own-garments service where customers supply specific items (such as aprons or hi-vis vests) to be printed, with the team confirming printability on a case-by-case basis.
• Gift Vouchers Digital and physical gift certificates available in $25, $40, $50, $75, $100, $150 and $250 AUD denominations. Valid for 12 months; physical copies can be collected from any Melbourne store.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $40,000 raised for Beyond Blue via the Locktown fundraising campaign
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship blank-garment partner, core premium blank partner, secondary blank supplier, major charity partner, charity partner (annual 'give a shirt'), flagship charitable programme, illustrator / content collaborator, standard analytics integration and core payout partner.

• AS Colourflagship blank-garment partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerAS Colour is Das's preferred blank-garment supplier, supplying staples like the Staple Tee, Maple Tee, Mali Tee, Barnard Singlet, Staple Long Sleeve, Basic Tee, Heavy Tee, Kids T-Shirt, Youth T-Shirt, Infant One-Piece, Pique Polo, Carrie Tote, Bucket Hat, Five Panel Hat, Trucker Hat and Premium Linen Apron. Das highlights AS Colour's high quality and 'impressively ethical' positioning as a core stock preference.
• Koa Goodscore premium blank partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerNZ brand Koa Goods supplies the premium Hemp Tee (210gsm hemp/organic cotton blend, made in Carbon Neutral workshops). Highlighted by Das as a preferred ethical blank alongside AS Colour and Colour Plane; featured in the Rush Range.
• Colour Planecore premium blank partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerMelbourne-based brand Colour Plane supplies premium blanks: Long Sleeve (100% cotton, custom spun yarn) and heavyweight 340gsm Tote Bag (100% cotton canvas twill). Das promotes Colour Plane as one of three preferred ethical blanks alongside AS Colour and Koa Goods.
• Gildansecondary blank supplierStrategic or Co-development PartnerGildan is one of the alternate blank brands Das can order in on request when customers want a specific style not stocked as a core line.
• Next Levelsecondary blank supplierStrategic or Co-development PartnerNext Level is one of the alternate blank brands Das can order in on request for customers seeking a specific style outside the core AS Colour/Koa/Colour Plane range.
• Qualitopssecondary blank supplierStrategic or Co-development PartnerQualitops is an Australian-made blank brand Das can order in on request for customers seeking a domestically produced garment option.
• Beyond Bluemajor charity partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerMental health charity Beyond Blue was the beneficiary of Das's 'Greetings from Locktown' fundraising campaign (art by Oslo Davis, via By All Means), which raised over $40k via Das's hosted merch-campaign store.
• Clothing The Gapsmajor charity partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerIndigenous-led apparel brand/charity Clothing The Gaps was the beneficiary of the 'YES Campaign' created by Tom Whitty via Das's fundraising store, raising over $14k.
• Planned Parenthoodmajor charity partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerReproductive health non-profit Planned Parenthood was the beneficiary of the 'Abortion Saves Lives' campaign (Clem Ford, art by Twyla Mae) hosted by Das, raising over $11k.
• Music in Exilecharity partner (annual 'give a shirt')GTM or Marketing PartnerMusic in Exile was the featured beneficiary of the 2022 'Give A Shirt' charitable campaign run by Das.
• Forever Friendscharity partner (annual 'give a shirt')GTM or Marketing PartnerForever Friends was the featured beneficiary of the 2023 'Give A Shirt' charitable campaign run by Das.
• Give a Shirtflagship charitable programmeGTM or Marketing PartnerDas runs 'Give a Shirt' (giveashirt.com.au), an annual charitable programme selecting a different cause each year (e.g. Music in Exile 2022, Forever Friends 2023). Referenced as a separate About page linked from the main site.
• Arizona Tuesday (@arizonatuesday on Instagram)illustrator / content collaboratorGTM or Marketing PartnerIllustrator 'Arizona Tuesday' is credited as the artist for the reference imagery on Das's Method Comparison page, with an Instagram link to @arizonatuesday — an example of artist collaborations Das uses for content marketing.
• Google Analyticsstandard analytics integrationTechnology or IntegrationDas uses Google Analytics on its website; website traffic data is transmitted to Google servers in the United States. Users can opt out via Google's tools.
• PayPalcore payout partnerTechnology or IntegrationPayPal is Das's payout mechanism for Merch Store partner profits — Das pays the partner's profits for each item sold straight to their PayPal account on the 1st of each month.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Teespring (Spring): Creator-merch platform enabling artists and creators to sell custom apparel without inventory. Comparable to Das's Merch Store offering on the creator-merch use case, though operating at significantly larger scale globally.
• Redbubble: Global print-on-demand marketplace for artist-designed apparel and homewares. Overlaps with Das's Merch Shop / Featured Artist Merch proposition but operates as a marketplace rather than a localised custom-printer.

Broad incumbents

• Custom Ink: Large US-headquartered custom apparel platform with group-order tooling for teams, events, and corporate buyers. Comparable custom-tee product but US-centric; relevant as a global benchmark for online custom apparel UX.
• Printful: Global print-on-demand fulfilment platform with native Shopify, Etsy, and WooCommerce integrations. Competes directly with Das's Dropship Portal offering on POD fulfilment, but lacks a physical retail footprint and Australian production.
• Printify: Global print-on-demand marketplace aggregating third-party print providers with Shopify/WooCommerce integration. Competes with Das's Merch Store/Dropship Portal in the creator-economy POD space.
• Vistaprint: Global large-format custom print incumbent with Australian presence; offers custom apparel alongside business cards, signage, and promotional products. Competes on bulk B2B and SMB apparel but does not specialise in no-minimum creative custom printing.

Direct peers

• The Print Bar: Australian DTC custom apparel printer (teambuilding, events, gifts) with no-minimum online ordering, bulk B2B quotes, and own retail/showroom presence. Closest direct head-to-head competitor to Das within the Australian custom garment printing market.
• KingPin Apparel: Australian custom apparel and merch printer offering DTG, screen printing, and embroidery to B2B and event customers. Comparable product mix, comparable mid-market Australian customer base.
• INK & Co: Australian custom t-shirt and apparel printer serving small-to-mid B2B and consumer orders with online ordering and bulk quoting. Direct product-offering overlap with Das.
• Promotion Products / promotion product printers (e.g., Spike Print, Polar Bear Promotions): Australia-based promotional product printers offering custom-branded apparel, mugs, and merchandise to B2B and corporate clients. Compete directly for bulk uniform, event merchandise, and corporate gifting work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dasautomat
• Facebookfacebook.com/dastshirtautomat
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/das-tshirt-automat

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Das T-Shirt Automat