# true cost to make socks



## clippernate34 (Dec 24, 2013)

I am new to sock game I was curious what the true cost to print custom socks are. I have all the main prices since I just ordered my equipment but I was curious what is the ink cost to do a standard pair of say elite socks. 

Thanks for the help I am using a ricoh 7100 with the Sawgrass Sublijet inks.


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## Kevb (Apr 29, 2014)

I would estimate a dollar or so per sock to start with. It depends on how much coverage, size of sock, etc. Do you have the printer connected to a network/ router? Don't print through the router*, but if it is wired to a network as well, you can click on the printer properties and select "Web Services". There is a tab (not sure of the name, I'm at home now) and you can check ink levels of the cartridges. Before you start a job of decent size, say printing 10 pairs or so, you can record the percentages of each cartridge, then do the same after the job is complete. Take the difference in total percentage, then figure one cartridge (100%) costs $X (I think $126 an extended capacity cart of Sawgrass ink, or $1.26 per "percent"). That will give you a pretty good idea of your ink costs. In the end, the cost of the socks and your time are a lot more than the cost of the ink and paper, but it's good to get a grasp on everything. (I learned this method from David Gross at Conde Systems, a great resource for this kind of thing.)

*Be sure to print through the USB cord, not over the network.


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## CustomCasePlace (Dec 4, 2014)

Just curious. Why not print over the network? I just ordered a new Ricoh and I was exited it was wireless. Should I not use it that way?

Thanks,

Julie


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## Kevb (Apr 29, 2014)

I was told by RPL, Sawgrass and Conde that it is better to print through the USB. I haven't tried it wireless. I am guessing that it is because wireless is "glitchier" than wired, but don't know for sure.


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## pisquee (Jan 8, 2012)

We've lost prints trying to go over ethernet cables, but these were big prints (metres long, by a metre wide) so gave up and went with USB and got rid of the problems, and found the time to start printing was quicker too.

As to working out your ink usage, if you have a decent set of digital scales, then I've found takign the carts out of the printer and weighing them before and after the print job the most accurate way of measuring ink usgage. This works best if you use refill carts, as you can weigh an empty one as your baseline, and also best for a printer that doesn't run a large prime/charge cycle everytime you put the carts back in.


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## clippernate34 (Dec 24, 2013)

Wow yeah thanks for all the info  I am new so was just making sure i have a athletic sock that I am doing a all over print on I had the sock say at 3.00 a pair the 13x 19 paper is about .42 a sheet a past guy said about 1.00 a pair for ink.

Grand total of about $4.40 maybe about .10 or .20 more if you use heat tape or the spray to keep the sock on. That really helps a lot


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## CustomCasePlace (Dec 4, 2014)

Don't forget that its two sheets of paper and two inks per sock, so 4 total for the pair.


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## clippernate34 (Dec 24, 2013)

Oh so 2 bucks worth of ink? Thanks I thought it was a buck total.


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## clippernate34 (Dec 24, 2013)

Safe to say about 6 bucks for a pair


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