# Need help pricing this transfer!!!



## diana13t (Mar 11, 2009)

I created this design for a teacher and she just wants me to press it on a shirt she's supplying. I settled earlier this year on a price structure but most of the designs I've made so far have not been hugely dense with stones. So when I plugged the costs into my spreadsheet it gave me a price that seemed awful high for just the transfer and I haven't even figured in any type of pressing fee.

I use the Korean Grade A stones from ShineArt USA
This design has the following:
1806 Capri Blue stones $5.00 cost
879 Smoked Topaz stones $ 1.58 cost
Transfer Tape $ .55
Total Costs $7.13

If you feel more comfortable sending me a PM, please do so. 

Thanks!!!


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## DivineBling (Sep 14, 2010)

I typically don't mark up the cost of my tee shirts so the cost to press a design onto a shirt that the customer is supplying only goes down a few dollars. That's a LOT of rhinestones and you need to make money on the time it takes to make the transfer, the cost of electricity for your heat press, and time it takes to pick up, press, and deliver the shirt. I wouldn't charge any less than $20 and would probably charge more like $25 to press that big of a design onto a shirt. It's not really worth it for the customer to provide their own shirt unless it's a specific shirt they want in which case they're paying someone ELSE a mark up fee for the shirt. That's not your fault or your problem. You need to make money. 

That said, I know it gets sticky when you're trying to keep customers happy, but I've gotten myself in too much trouble by not charging enough and then the same customer keeps coming back expecting the same prices. It's just not worth it!


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## superD70 (Dec 22, 2010)

i agree with Stephanie, 20 - 25$ is not out of line.
no guarantee on customer supplied shirts either is my policy.


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## diana13t (Mar 11, 2009)

Thank you both so much, I ended up quoting her $24.83 plus tax which is still discounted from what I usually mark up my stones.

So I was talking to my mom about what I should charge and I feel feel pretty good about my mark-up structure except when it comes to higher priced stones like Pink, Capri Blue, etc. Do you mark those stones up the same as you would for the General Colors or Clear? Or do you maybe not mark up the higher priced stones as much as the less expensive colors?

For example with my dad's business, which is and industrial refrigeration business, when he sells parts he marks the less expensive ones up more than the real expensive ones. So if he's selling a $100 part he might mark it up 100% but if he's selling a $5,000 part, he may only mark it up 50%. I know we talking apples and oranges here, but that got me thinking.

What do you do????

But thank you for your responses, I feel better about it now. I need to make a profit but I don't want to be greedy about it either.


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## DivineBling (Sep 14, 2010)

I'm actually understanding what you're saying about your dad's business and I totally agree. I obviously make a lot more on designs that have all crystal clear stones than I do with designs that have rose stones because they're my most expensive. However, I have 35 colors of rhinestones in 5 different sizes with 4 pricing structures for each size so trying to figure out the exact cost on every single design would take so much time that it would eat up my profit right there! So my general rule is to price a transfer out at .02 per stone plus 2.50 for each size and/or color because it obviously takes more time to make a transfer using more than one size or color. Sometimes I pay half a cent per stone and sometimes I pay closer to the .02 per stone. It all works out in the end. You just want to use a formula that works well to make you money without taking up too much of your time. 

That was a good analogy to compare mark up to your dad's business. 

Blessings!
Stephanie


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## TheDecalWorld (Jan 18, 2009)

I normally try to mark it up 3 times my costs plus 1/2 for each color layered to have a set number. It also depends on the amount of colors and how long it takes to create each design. A one color design with 2,000 stones may be less expensive than a 3 color design with 1,500 stones. 

Exp. Say your cost is $7.00 for a large design like your example.
One color transfer $21.00
2 color is $24.50
3 color is 28.00 etc. 

Exp. Say your cost is $2.50 for a normal design
One color transfer $7.50
2 color is $8.75
3 color is $10.00

Now that is not including the design fees for the transfer and cutting the templates for it. 

How this helps. Looks like you priced it great.


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## LEO (Oct 10, 2006)

THX to all who have posted their pricing structure...I was just about to ask the same question.
At what point is it more cost efficient to both parties to simply sell the template and AT WHAT COST?
=========
One client has just purchased their own heat press. Their main business is embroidery. They have a niche market so I made up some designs/cut templates and produced shirts. They sell and take a cut of retail.
Now that they have a press...how to price the templates of MULTICOLOR designs from 400 to 700 Shineart stones ?
- and HOW to keep stones from shifting during shipment? between cardboard sufficient?

THX for any help.

LEO


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## TheDecalWorld (Jan 18, 2009)

Hey Leo, The silicon hot fix tape has a stonger adhesive so you want to use that when shipping transfers. You also want to use the back side of the white carrier. You will notice the white backing on the hot fix tape has 2 sides. One side has little circle ridges or bumps on it and the other side is much flatter and the bumps go down. After you make your transfer you want to put the design back on the back side or the non bumpy side of the white carrier sheet. It will keep the stones much more secure during the shipping process. Hope this helps.


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## LEO (Oct 10, 2006)

THX ! I NEVER noticed that !
Any help for pricing templates?

LEO


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## DivineBling (Sep 14, 2010)

LEO said:


> THX ! I NEVER noticed that !
> Any help for pricing templates?
> 
> LEO


It sounds like you actually want to price out the transfers and not the templates.

Is that right?


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## BlingItOn (May 29, 2008)

I ship transfers everyday and purchase the China A Acrylic Tape from Shine Art and have never had a custom complain about rhinestones shifting. I do package the design(s) between 2 pieces of cardboard which securely holds them in place. Large orders I only put about 10 transfers together between 2 pieces then start another layer. I secure the cardboard with tape on all 4 sides and on the larger orders I wrap the layered cardboard with bubble wrap before placing into the shipping box.


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## LEO (Oct 10, 2006)

HI ! THX !

I'm actually trying to consider whether to just sell them the template- rather than making and sending transfers. Design pertains to their niche...not mine.
I could sell as non exclusive... retaining the right to use also- in unlikely event I get request.

LEO


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## DivineBling (Sep 14, 2010)

LEO said:


> HI ! THX !
> 
> I'm actually trying to consider whether to just sell them the template- rather than making and sending transfers. Design pertains to their niche...not mine.
> I could sell as non exclusive... retaining the right to use also- in unlikely event I get request.
> ...


In that case, you need to figure out how long it took you to design the template and how much you want to make per hour against the cost of your materials.

So if it took you an hour to design the template and you want to make $30/hour, then you could charge $34 for the template.


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## TheDecalWorld (Jan 18, 2009)

Hi Leo, The templates you can price at whatever you want. That gives them an unlimited amount of transfers to make for the future. You need to take into the account of the time it took you to make the design in your rhinestone software, the time to cut the template, all the materials used to make the templates, and so on. Just don't under sell yourself. We charge a initial design fee for creating the rhinestone file, then a separate charge for making the hard template. I can guarantee, you didn't create that design from scratch, cut it and backer board it in one hour. It's alot of work to create a rhinestone template from nothing and you need to make sure it is worth it to you. We make about 15-30 custom templates a day and it takes awhile. We have 2 cutters running most of the day. Hope this helps.


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## LEO (Oct 10, 2006)

PHEW ! So YOU understand !
I was beginning to worry.
These are specific activity templates and sometimes they take DAYS !
You get the general idea laid out and then the tweaking can take hours if not *days*.
Every AM when you look at it with fresh eyes.. you see something to tweak.

Not that client should have to pay for all time but once in their hands.. it's gone with no further revenue for all the effort.

I'm beginning to lean toward providing the transfers only... now that I have better handle on shipping safely.

THX ! LEO


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## TheDecalWorld (Jan 18, 2009)

The great thing about custom transfers is once you have it created and they like the design they will keep coming back to you for more transfers. Once you sell that template you may never hear from them again or the may come back for more templates. It can work both ways. Like you say, they never know how much work is involved in creating the templates from scratch. You are providing them a service that they can not do without you. They didn't pay the money for the the vinyl cutter, the materials, and the expensive softwares and so on. Just remember, you are doing a custom item that not a whole lot of people can do. Your designs look great and you need to make some money for all the time you put into learning how to become so good at making nice designs like you have. Anybody and get the supplies needed, but not many can translate that into nice clean rhinestones designs that will set your customers apart from the basic stock designs you see everywhere.


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## sjidohair (Apr 9, 2008)

Matt,, you are providing some great info, I think you have it about covered,, , thanks
Sandy jo
MMM


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