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Math is NOT my strong suit, so I want the quickest, easiest way possible to figure out all of my “math problems.” One of the questions I see over and over and over is How to Figure Sublimation Costs. Several factors go into the equation, and if you so hang tight, I promise we will be able to do some “quick and easy” math to figure out the actual cost of Sublimation.
Easiest Way To Figure Sublimation Costs
Look at your settings the next time you need to refill your ink cartridges. Go to Settings, scroll over to Print Counter, and then it’s time to do the math. Take that number, divide that count by the cost of the ink.
Then, divide the cost of paper by the number of sheets that were in the package.
After that add the costs up and you will get your total cost.
This will differ depending on what brands you buy and how much they cost.
Sublimation Costs using MY COSTS and Printer Count
INK cost- 579 copies/$38.99= 15 cents *PLUS I still have leftover ink to refill my cartridges several times.
Paper cost- $18.99/100 =19 cents per sheet
Then 15 cents + 19 cents = 34 cents per page of Sublimation prints. Then if you were going to sell that sublimation print, it would be two to four times that for your sale price.
Thus making each sublimation print page cost roughly $1.36 without shipping.
Square inches of an 8.5 by 11-inch piece of paper is 93.5 resulting in less than one cent cost per square inch of ink and paper costs.
Want a Sublimation Printer that figures cost for you? Check out the SureColor F570 Dye Sublimation Printer with a built-in cutter and more! Another option you could check out is the Sawgrass the Virtuoso SG500 Sublimation Printer is also a great option!
See?!! That math wasn’t so bad, right?! Now, we move onto tackling something a little more complex but necessary when figuring out sublimation costs. Onto the more “math involved” process to figure out the cost of Sublimation Printing.
Items that you should factor into the production cost of Sublimation Printing.
Figure Out Your Minimum Wage
You cannot work for free, so figure out your minimum wage and figure it in.
Last update on 2021-04-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
- Sublimation Ink- Usually a 1 time cost out of pocket for the initial investment. But then has to be replaced as you use it. *So you have to figure price per square inch for that!
- Sublimation Paper- Again, this is bought in packages of 100 (most generally) so it’s a one time cost for you. But for projects I tend to figure it at 3 cents per square inch for individual projects.
- Heat Resistant Tape- a must have for all Sublimation Projects, but you still have to consider your bottom line.
- Blow Out Paper-a must have for all Sublimation Projects, but you still have to consider your bottom line. Want cheaper blow out paper that still works correctly, check out the Best-Selling Materials to use for Blowout Paper.
Last update on 2021-04-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
- Substrates or Blanks-The price of blanks or substrates varies from sellers as well as brands. I try to focus on quality versus quantity and once you find the perfect match, it makes figuring out pricing much easier.
- Pressing Labor-YES, you should get paid for making your finished product. You will also get better as time progresses, so remember to work in batches to make you quicker as well as increasing your bottom line.
Last update on 2021-04-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
- Packing Supplies- Wrapping, packaging tape, wrappers, labels for boxes and or poly mailers. These are a necessity especially if you are going to ship things. I strongly suggest you create a brand for yourself and use a logo so more people see your name.
- Labels and Logo- These are easily designed and if you need help feel free to reach out to me. I created the logo you see on this website as well as several more.
- Design Fees etc.-If you don’t have a design and you need to purchase it, you need to put that fee into your finished pricing. Look at Etsy, Graphic Design Bundles, Creative Fabrica etc. The possibilities are endless and I can usually find almost anything that a customer has requested.
- Selling Fees- The fee you will pay to use another site to sell said product. (Etsy etc.)
- Delivery Fees- Some examples of delivery fees include mileage costs for delivery or the Post Office or other shipping stores. Local delivery, you could also have a delivery fee at a discounted rate.
- Please remember you need to pay yourself for Shipping Labor, just like you do pressing labor!
- Scrap and Other- If you make a mistake, you will have to take the total item as a loss. If you don’t figure in a small “fee,” you could lose money down the road. I suggest 5% to 10% of the total cost because errors will happen. Plus, there are lots of trial/error products that add up in a short amount of time in the beginning.
- Shipping Costs- Will often times vary from project to project, town to town, city by city and so forth. Check out Pirate Ship or the USPS for the best shipping options for you!
I’m assuming everyone is working out of your home when considering these things to figure costs. If you are in a retail location, have a warehouse, have a storage facility, etc., then you will have to up your prices to ensure you cover your overhead costs. *But that is a whole new blog post.
Want help pricing your Sublimation Items?
YES, Yes, and Yes! We will take some of the guess work out of it for you by giving you this Sublimation Pricing Tool. Is it perfect? Nope, will there be things not included? Yes, I’m sure of it, however, it will give a great baseline to help you price your finished products. Click below to download a copy of the calculator in Excel!
Rather not have an Excel document? Download the worksheet instead.
If you personalize the item, you can charge even more. Add $5.00 to $10.00 per personalization to the price (but it really depends on your area.) Which makes the cost of the item go higher than the typical 2 or 3 times the cost amount rule of thumb for crafts. In some cases you can get 4 or 5 times the cost of the product, if it’s a high quality product, with personalizations.
No matter what you do your Sublimation Costs are going to fluctuate from item to item. Just remember to track them and as you get quicker at Sublimation, your profits will rise because you will be selling more products!
Have more questions about Sublimation Costs? Send me a message and I will help you in anyway I can.
Need a Printer?
Looking for the perfect Sublimation Printer? Look no farther! Check out the SureColor F570 Dye Sublimation Printer with a built in cutter and more! Another option you could check out is the Sawgrass the Virtuoso SG500 Sublimation Printer is also a great option, but to my knowledge it doesn’t do the math.
Want the Best Sublimation Printer?
Need to learn more about the terms used in Sublimation Printing? Check out the Comprehensive Sublimation Glossary.
Sublimation Printing Posts
I hope you love what you see and check out all of the great resources about Sublimation Printing!
How to Figure Sublimation Costs?
You must use math in order to figure out the cost of Sublimation. But the calculator or tool above helps you figure Sublimation Costs easily.
How much should I charge for Sublimation?
That answer depends on your costs of paper, ink, time, substrates and of course labor involved in creating the finished project. Use the Sublimation Pricing Tool to help you figure that out today!
How to Calculate Your True Sublimation Cost
You must use math in order to figure out the cost of Sublimation. But the calculator or tool above helps you figure Sublimation Costs easily.
Sublimation Cost per Square inch
Less than one cent cost per square inch of ink and paper costs. *See math above
How much does sublimation ink cost?
Sublimation Ink starts at around $20 (ish) dollars for a set of 4 bottles and is different no matter what brand you are using. What’s the best Sublimation Ink?? It’s coming, I promise!
Cost of Sublimation Paper
As with the cost of Sublimation Ink, Sublimation Paper costs vary depending on what kind you buy. Expect to set a package for less than $20 but upwards of $35 in some cases. The answer is: it depends.
How much to sell sublimation products for?
That answer depends on your costs of paper, ink, time, substrates and of course labor involved in creating the finished project. Use the Sublimation Pricing Tool to help you figure that out today!
How much to charge for sublimation mugs?
That answer depends on your costs of paper, ink, time, substrates and of course labor involved in creating the finished project. Use the Sublimation Pricing Tool to help you figure that out today!
How much is Sublimation Printing?
Less than 1 cent per square inch in paper and ink, then you have to figure in your time, material costs, labor costs, and shipping costs. So the simple answer is…it depends.
Use the Sublimation Pricing Tool to help you figure YOUR costs today.
Is Sublimation Printing Affordable?
I think that that question is a loaded question. What is affordable to me, might not be affordable to someone else and vice versa. I will tell you getting set up to do Sublimation Printing isn’t cheap, but neither is investing in your own business. So, my suggestion to you is to send me a message with what you need help with, and we can work it out together to figure out if Sublimation Printing is affordable to you.
Is there a Sublimation Printing Price List?
I’m going to go with their is no universal Sublimation Pricing Chart or Sublimation Printing Pricing List. Because it all depends on the costs of products. The Sublimation Pricing Tool will help you figure out those costs without a chart, that might not be accurate for you.
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