# How much do you charge to make a print?



## knifemaker3

Hey all,
Just thought it would be interesting to see how much each of us charge to print. 

Here is what I'm asking for. Print labor charge only. DO NOT INCLUDE SHIRT COST, FILM COST, EMULSION, INK, AND ANY OTHER INCIDENTAL COST.

Just how much do you charge for your labor to print?

I start at $1.75 and then it is discounted with the rest of the discounts with the increase in # of shirts printed.

Remember, this is just your labor to print, nothing else.

Just thought it'd be interesting thread.

Have a good Day!!!

Craig


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## knifemaker3

I should have made it clear that I charge 1.75 per color per side. Sorry.


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## brent

You start with that price at how many shirts?


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## ffokazak

1.75 per side per colour?

So A 3 colour print front and one back is 4 x 1.75$? = 7?

Your doing goooood man!


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## knifemaker3

I start at 1-12 shirts at 1.75. I just called the competition and they are about the same. I should also have mentioned that I don't charge set up fees either.

So, what do you charge? I get the feeling that you think I'm charging too much, yet when I see price quotes on here I'm usually in the low to mid range of pricing.

Thoughts?

Craig


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## brent

I think your prices are crazy. If someone brought in six shirts and wanted you to print a 1color on the front only, you'd charge $10.50 with no set up fees?

If someone brought me 10 shirts and wanted me to print a 1color front only on them, I'd charge $4 a shirt and $10 to set it up.


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## out da box

pricing for printing is extremely tricky, which is why I am so grateful to have a pricing calculator and price matrix. My base print charges are 1.50 to 1.00 per color per side. My screen fees are 15.00/screen. And I have a 50% markup on blanks. For quantities lower than 50pcs, I rarely charge less than 8.00, but for higher quantities, the price per piece drops considerably.
In the scenario above with 10 white tees 1 color print- i'd be at 9.60/pc all inclusive price.


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## jpspent

I believe all jobs are not created equal and are priced accordingly, while i normally Start at $1.50 ,.50 each additional color with a 50% mark up on blanks. Art , film and screens normally charged separately.


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## amp267

if a customer came to me wanting 12 white shirts one color one side i would charge 20 for screen/setup and no less than 10 a shirt. for 48 shirts i would charge 6 per standard sizing sm-xl with no set-up charge. when they say i can get a better price i tell them thank you, if it doesnt work out give me a call. most customers are referrals they come to me because of customer service and quality. i know plenty of people that have better quality and maybe better customer service. but i stick to my pricing and have plenty of work. i also offer everything else from signs to embroidery, and paper printing. i market myself as a one stop shop, that seems to help alot, even thought i sub out my paper printing and embroidery.


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## BigTee

I think it would be interesting for everyone to add where in the country they are.......In Tampa, I would charge $3-4 per shirt (1-side only) and an $18 Screen/Setup charge.................BIG TEE


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## amp267

southern cali


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## TshirtGuru

I charge $15 per screen/color.

I charge a base print price for 1 color, about $5.75 per piece for any job between 12-24 pieces. (does not include tees).

I charge 100% mark up on t-shirts, and about 50% mark up on hoodies, sweatshirts, etc.


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## knifemaker3

South Central Missouri here. I don't think some of you are following what I'm asking for here. Strictly your print price.

Don't figure in anything else, just your base print price. No screen fees, ink cost, etc. Just what you charge to print.

As stated above I start out at $1.75. On 1-12 shirts my all inclusive price is $10/shirt on colored shirt up to xl. White shirts $9.00 all inclusive. This would be 1 color 1 side. Like out da box I too have a price matrix that automatically discounts for different quantities.

I mark up the shirts 50% and figure a profit on materials as well. That is what goes toward all of the business expenses. The labor is take home pay for myself.

I would actually just do a 1 color 1 side up to 12 shirts in heat pressed vinyl and from 12 up with screen. 

Hope I am making myself more clear. Around here your lucky to get $8 for a navy blue shirt with white logo on back and white left chest in 20 count order. Competition is stiff around here.


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## amp267

well you know pricing for shirts, so minus that and you got my labor price. if you want to get technical, minus time for estimate, minus time for artwork, minus time making your screen(coating, burning, washing out, taping it up), minus emulsion, minus ink, minus electricity used, minus unpacking, minus folding, minus packing, minus delivery, minus time for invoice, and the list goes on and on and on. i think i should be charging 20 a shirt now that i think about it. 

oh yea you just want the labor price. well i guess white tees are about $2.00 a piece shiped and printed. so i guess my labor price is about $8 a piece. from that $8 another $3 at least goes back to the business. so when its all said in done i guess i get to spend about $5. oh wait then theres the wife, thank God she's not the spending type or that would leave me about .25 per shirt if i was lucky. so i would say my labor price is about $5.

remember guys dont sell your self short. theres another forum on here that talks about this. if your not careful you might end up paying your customer for the previlege of printing there shirts

sorry about the spelling im sure i mis-spelled something


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## pukingdeserthobo

i would charge 3.75 for lights and 4.25 for darks 
does not include shirt


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## Matto

Florida here

3.50 labor only 1-12 shirts


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## knifemaker3

Wished I could get those prices around here that you guys are quoting. 

I do tend to try and put more money back in the business than what I take out for myself as I figure I can live alot cheaper and keep my business growing. So, I do figure cost on the high side for some items such as ink .50 even thought the actual ink cost is @ .10-20 for most of my designs. But I figure this way when I figure it high I am getting the price of wear and tear on squeggees, equipment, and things like screenwash and paper towels to clean. Figure even .25 cents per shirt and thats 2.50 on a 10 shirt order. After several orders when I need some extra cash to buy a new press, or repair my existing one, or some other unforseen expense, I will have plenty of money to take care of it. Maybe this way I won't have to go out in the future and take out a loan to do repairs or expand into bigger and better equipment.

So, I probably actually make a little more in labor/shirt, but I figure my cost a little higher so I'm not tempted to take more money home in pay to just waste when it needs to be put back into the company.

Hope I'm making some sense to you all. I've always been one to over figure cost to catch all of the stuff you don't think about when figuring like towels for cleaning, electricity, platen adhesive, block out, batteries to run the radio while you work, new work shirts for yourself and your employees to make your company stand out. Just all the little things we don't think of when figuring prices that should be included to run the business.

So, for you guys that are getting $3 and above in labor, what is your total price/shirt? $12-$14/shirt? Sure would be nice to get that but I'll bet it cost you alot more to live there than where I live in Missouri.

Craig


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## amp267

I'll bet it cost you alot more to live there than where I live in Missouri.



you got that right. i live in a good neighborhood 3 bedroom 2 bath, about 1700 sq ft. i got it a year ago at the discounted price of 520,000. the worse part is i would be lucky to get 385,000 for it right now. hoping things change. here we pay for our wether not our house. beautiful southern cali, did i mention its suppose to rain today. i think i got ripped off. i guess a couple days a year of bad wethers ok.


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