# Sublimation costs



## polarmom (Nov 14, 2010)

Is there a resource for estimating sublimation costs per product?


----------



## polarmom (Nov 14, 2010)

Specifically ink costs


----------



## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

Per print? What about head cleanings, charging, misprints, what is left in the cart/bag/bottle and leakage? Never seen anything on this that is comprehensive.


----------



## Conde_David (May 29, 2008)

For what printer?
I have measured yields for many printers.
They are in my articles.


----------



## polarmom (Nov 14, 2010)

Epson 4880 Hybrid


----------



## Fleury266 (Jan 18, 2008)

Sawgrass has a cost estimator on their website.


----------



## Conde_David (May 29, 2008)

I have not found their calculator to be useful.
What brand ink are you using on the left?

For artainium it cost about $.015 per square inch full color.
So a 10"x10" full color would cost about $1.50 in ink.


----------



## SublimatorToo (Jan 15, 2009)

Dye sub costs are high - especially for the ink used in small systems.

My Epson 4800 uses a minimum 1 ml for 80 sq in. of area covered. Add to that the cost for head cleanings, purgings, screwed up transfers, other sources of waste consumption and so forth. Those use tremendous amounts of ink which far outweight the amount used and costs for the transfers.

Assuming that there is no waste - don't I wish - at what the suppliers charge us for Sawgrass ink in our area, it costs a little over 2 cents a square inch just for ink. Then guess how much you are wasting and its cost since you cannot nail it down due to the numerous variables. So anyone who says ink is cheap as borscht, has not yet figured out what is really going on.

I spoke with a supplier of printers and presses for cut and sew shirts and asked how those guys could generate any profits with these crazy ink consumption rates and costs. He said they can't. Their cost is about only 40 cents a garment. That's the difference. 

Even if he's exaggerating, look at our ink cost with no waste - on a 20"x 30" shirt, 2 sides, it would be at least $24.00. Add in the cost of your shirt. Now you have made a $40-$50 dollar shirt, with no profit for your time, electricity, transfer paper, deprecitraion of equipment, waste ink and materials, etc., which you can sell for maybe 20-30 bucks if you are lucky. Wow. 

Don't believe Sawgrass' "calculations". They are innacurate and totally incomplete. Just remember, they have a vested interest in those numbers. They are the ones who want you to believe and buy. Look at real world numbers from those who are not afraid to give you the true story.


----------



## Conde_David (May 29, 2008)

The Ricoh printers use a different technology
called gel and their cost are about half of the epson
4880 with artainium inks. On the gx7000 our 10"x10"
Cost about $.65 for ink.

On the other hand if ink cost is the primary
concern, get an epson 7000 series printer.
The SubliM ink will run you about $.15 to $.20 per
square foot.


----------



## Klee520264 (Dec 20, 2010)

polarmom said:


> Is there a resource for estimating sublimation costs per product?


I believe the cost for the sublimation each side of the t-shirt would be between $1.20 to $1.40 depending on the quanatity based on the industrial wholesale price in Los Angeles area.


----------

