# making money with your cutter



## tyetshirt (Sep 16, 2011)

I have had my cutter since November and haven't been able to really make any money with it. How are you making money with your cutter?


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## Appleback (Aug 3, 2008)

The easiest way is to do name drops & numbers (names on the back of t-shirts & jerseys) Also for small t-shirt orders you can cut a full front design out of vector graphics.

Frank


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## tyetshirt (Sep 16, 2011)

Are you applying name drops/numbering to customer supplied jerseys or is the money in you providing the jerseys and name drop/numbering?


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## Appleback (Aug 3, 2008)

both - but the profit comes from marking up goods as well as marking up the name drop.


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

apparel vinyl, glitter apparel vinyl and rhinestones. We do a hundred yards a week of vinyl. 

Here is a breakdown:
Ladies shirt: $2-$6
Rhinestones: 10c-50c
Misc expenses: $2 (blast material for stones and transfer film)
Sale price: $25-$35 for one offs and $16 on the low end for volume. 

Time on a single shirt might be 20 mins but if you have a bunch with the same design that time drops dramatically.


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## Blue92 (Oct 8, 2010)

We do a full line of promotional products including tote bags, frisbees and corporate give away items along with event t-shirts, baseball, football, soccer uniforms for several sports leagues along with banners for the league sponsors.

Depending on the items we will either farm them out or do them in house.


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## tyetshirt (Sep 16, 2011)

I don't think $25 for a vinyl shirt will sell in my area, no one will pay that much. 

Here's a price list I came up, hopefully this work out. What do you all think about my pricelist? 

1 color (simple design: text and/or line art)
Front or Back Only: $8 white shirt, $9 color shirt
Front & Back: $10 white, $11 color
​Minimum 1

2 color (simple design: text and line art)
Front or Back only: $10 white, $11 color
Front & Back: $12 white, $13 color
​Minimum 1


What type of vinyl are you using on your promotional items?


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## Appleback (Aug 3, 2008)

Too low - if you are willing to print a 1 color line art full front white for $8 what price are you going to sell the same shirt for QTY 48? 

I personally think you are starting way too low. One thing you have to keep in mind - the order regardless of 1 or 48 require the same setup, production, artwork, labor, heat press, computer to create art, overhead (rent, electric, etc) for a custom 1 piece shirt. I would sell the same shirt for no less than $15. If the customer went to the mall for the same shirt they would pay $20 - $30 minimum. 

Frank


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## theflowerboxx (Mar 26, 2007)

tyetshirt said:


> I don't think $25 for a vinyl shirt will sell in my area, no one will pay that much.
> 
> Here's a price list I came up, hopefully this work out. What do you all think about my pricelist?
> 
> ...


If that's all you're going to charge then you might as well packing it in now before you go broke.


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## tyetshirt (Sep 16, 2011)

Ok so the going rate is about $15 for a 1 color 1 location?


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## theflowerboxx (Mar 26, 2007)

At least that much for 1 shirt. That doesn't include designing either, if they want you to design something you don't have already designed up.


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## tyetshirt (Sep 16, 2011)

So what about these prices. I know everyone's overhead is different but I'm just looking for the average price of vinyl transfer apparel. Thanks everyone for the help. 

Quantity 1-6 
1 color 1 Location $14 white $15 color
+$1.50 per additional location/color

Qty 7-15
1 c 1 L $13 white $14 color
+1.25 per additional location/color

Ex: customer wants 1 blue shirt, 1 color 2 locations; $15+$1.50= $16.50

Cust wants 1 white shirt, 2 colors 2 locations; $14+$1.50(2nd color)+$1.50(2nd loca and 1color)+$1.50(2nd color)= $18.50


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## royster13 (Aug 14, 2007)

I charge 35.00 for a 1 off and then 12.50 each for more of the same design....1 colour 1 location up to 9 lineal inches of 15" material...I usually do not do more than 12 pieces with cut vinyl but it depends on how urgent they need them....


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

$1.50 for an additional color is not enough if you use a foot of vinyl which will cost you more than that. Our bottom price on custom T's for one off's is $18. That is for flat vinyl, no bling. 

Don't under estimate the power of your customer to pay for something they want.


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## tyetshirt (Sep 16, 2011)

I think I'm getting the hang of the pricing. Hopefully I start seeing some profit.


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

We actually paid for our cutter on the very first job we did. It was a window graphic that we cut. Since then we have added a second cutter, often times both run at the same time. A store front does help though, which is where we get our customers from.


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## royster13 (Aug 14, 2007)

binki said:


> We actually paid for our cutter on the very first job we did.


Ditto.....My 1st job was ten - 3 x 10 banners.....Even after I paid for my GCC Expert 24, banner blanks, vinyl, application tape and few tools I still had 500.00 left over....


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## tyetshirt (Sep 16, 2011)

Maybe I'm not marketing to the right people. I only get vinyl transfer orders for 5-10 shirts and like 1-2 orders a week.


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## tyetshirt (Sep 16, 2011)

Do you charge different for the t-shirt color?


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## mmonk (Oct 23, 2011)

Sports leagues, one of's....I tend to do pretty well with clubs and organizations. I can offer low quantities on apparel with 1-12pcs with vinyl transfers. As a biker, I cater to the biker clubs and get $20-$25 1 color, 1 location per shirt all, day everyday. I also do banners, window lettering, decals, etc. 
I also "borrowed a pricing point from Royce on orders of 6 and 12 pcs. (thanks Royce btw) thats an everyday price. Dont be afraid to charge for it. With some local research in your market, you may find that you are the only operation that can or does offer low quantity orders. Most screen printers won't do orders less than 36 pcs.


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## BoydRiver (Aug 12, 2008)

mmonk said:


> Sports leagues, one of's....I tend to do pretty well with clubs and organizations. I can offer low quantities on apparel with 1-12pcs with vinyl transfers. As a biker, I cater to the biker clubs and get $20-$25 1 color, 1 location per shirt all, day everyday. I also do banners, window lettering, decals, etc.
> I also "borrowed a pricing point from Royce on orders of 6 and 12 pcs. (thanks Royce btw) thats an everyday price. Dont be afraid to charge for it. With some local research in your market, you may find that you are the only operation that can or does offer low quantity orders. Most screen printers won't do orders less than 36 pcs.


That pricing point sounds interesting, could you borrow it to me in a pm please ?


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## royster13 (Aug 14, 2007)

No need for a PM....It is in my earlier post.....


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