anyone have a formula for print and cut decals?

[gabagoo]

Sq footage pricing is fine for print, but what happens when you throw cutting into the mix? Not only the time to cut the actual decals but weeding and then cutting them all down... Up until now I have been winging it but never had a real formula for doing this. What do you guys do for that...use the example print and cut 400 1" x 2" decals square cut, using 3ml 3ml laminate.... I would be interested to see how you guys come up with a final price...

 

[shoresigns]

This is what spreadsheets are for.

We use a spreadsheet where you input width/height/qty, then it calculates actual material with waste, adds up the labour for each step of the process, and then gives pricing on different vinyls, with and without laminate, cut individually or on sheets, etc.

 

[Fred Weiss]

I would print them on my Gerber Edge, 11 labels high on Oracal 651, skip the lamination, weed and trim to vertical strips of 11 on my paper cutter.

1 Spot Color = $45.88 to the trade or $68.82 retail.

4 Color Process = $90.28 to the trade or $135.42 retail.

Add UV/Abrasion Guard Overprint = $14.80 to the trade or $22.20 retail.

Approx. print time = 3.5 minutes for 1 color
Approx. cut time = 4 minutes
Approx. weed time = 30 seconds
Approx. trim time = 3 minutes

Vinyl used = 74 inches @ $.42 per inch to the trade or $.63 retail.
Foil used = 74 inches @ $.20 per inch per color to the trade or $.30 retail.
Weeding and trimming is included at those prices. We do not deliver unweeded and untrimmed work.

Total time to produce job if 1 color = 11 minutes
Total time to produce job if 1 color + UV overprint = 15 minutes
Total time to produce job if 4 color = 23 minutes
Total time to produce job if 4 color + UV overprint = 27 minutes

Cost of Materials = $2.10 for vinyl and $2.10 for each foil color.

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

Early on we did some testing of various complexity decals. We timed ourselves weeding simple, standard, and complex designs with and without laminate. Compiled all the data in a spreadsheet and found the average time it took per square inch. Then in SignVox we have it as a labor based on time per square in (+15% for variables) * our shop rate. We made 6 options (Simple, Standard, and Complex all with/without lam).

So for your example: (400) 1" x 2" Square cut decals with Lam.

(Material Cost + Machine Time + Ink/Consumables + Labor Weed (Our average for simple weeding w/ lam is 10sqft/min) + Labor Mask (Flatbed 32sqft/min)) * Markup.

We factored by square in so we know as far down as possible for small decals.

 

[bob]

Early on we did some testing of various complexity decals. We timed ourselves weeding simple, standard, and complex designs with and without laminate. Compiled all the data in a spreadsheet and found the average time it took per square inch. Then in SignVox we have it as a labor based on time per square in (+15% for variables) * our shop rate. We made 6 options (Simple, Standard, and Complex all with/without lam).

So for your example: (400) 1" x 2" Square cut decals with Lam.

(Material Cost + Machine Time + Ink/Consumables + Labor Weed (Our average for simple weeding w/ lam is 10sqft/min) + Labor Mask (Flatbed 32sqft/min)) * Markup.

We factored by square in so we know as far down as possible for small decals.

Anal nonsense.

Just price it like any other print. That it happens to be in pieces means nothing. It shouldn't matter if it's one big image or any number of smaller images in the same space. Just figure out how much vinyl you unrolled and the overall print and cut areas and charge accordingly. Weeding is weeding. Some jobs have more pieces than others but it shouldn't matter if you have a clue as to how to weed it. If you have to part each individual decal then that should be billable, depending, but not simply weeding the thing.

Moreover, those print and cut areas are calculated in square feet and rounded up, media is calculated in feet unrolled and rounded up. Only the terminally pedantic would figure in square inches.

 

[gabagoo]

Anal nonsense.

Just price it like any other print. That it happens to be in pieces means nothing. It shouldn't matter if it's one big image or any number of smaller images in the same space. Just figure out how much vinyl you unrolled and the overall print and cut areas and charge accordingly. Weeding is weeding. Some jobs have more pieces than others but it shouldn't matter if you have a clue as to how to weed it. If you have to part each individual decal then that should be billable, depending, but not simply weeding the thing.

Moreover, those print and cut areas are calculated in square feet and rounded up, media is calculated in feet unrolled and rounded up. Only the terminally pedantic would figure in square inches.

I don't exactly agree with that Bob, Weeding can be very time consuming especially with complex cuts or just plain nasty laminate that does not like to be cut....and of course the time to set it up in the cutter and get the optical reader to see everything correctly....

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

I don't exactly agree with that Bob, Weeding can be very time consuming especially with complex cuts or just plain nasty laminate that does not like to be cut....and of course the time to set it up in the cutter and get the optical reader to see everything correctly....

My point exactly, I like to know what jobs cost me. If he wants to guess at things he can since he is the almighty Bob who knows more than God.

 

[rjssigns]

We price per square inch. Pricing varies depending on several factors. Type of contour cut, type of lam etc...


Bob's method works great if you want to screw yourself and not make money.

 

[GAC05]

Anal nonsense.

Moreover, those print and cut areas are calculated in square feet and rounded up, media is calculated in feet unrolled and rounded up. Only the terminally pedantic would figure in square inches.

I agree with Bob on the square inches - you should be using millimeters, or was it decimeters?..... something *meters

wayne k
guam usa

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

I agree with Bob on the square inches - you should be using millimeters, or was it decimeters?..... something *meters

wayne k
guam usa

Millimeters would work, although the price factors would be in the thousandth of a cent. We use square inches for decals because the average decal we print is less than 1/6th of a square foot each.

 

[bob]

My point exactly, I like to know what jobs cost me. If he wants to guess at things he can since he is the almighty Bob who knows more than God.

While I may or may not more than your gods I sure as hell know more than you and your posse. The point, which seemed to sail right by you, being that after you manipulate all of the minutia and agonize over meaningless details and I do not, if our rates are roughly the same then we will come up with comparable pricing. The difference being that I can do mine in my head should I choose to do so.

 

[studio 440]

Bob may not be god but he is the king and a genius who always has great insight in this tradeand i like his input on so many subjects

 

[royster13]

I would print them on my Gerber Edge, 11 labels high on Oracal 651, skip the lamination, weed and trim to vertical strips of 11 on my paper cutter.

1 Spot Color = $45.88 to the trade or $68.82 retail.

4 Color Process = $90.28 to the trade or $135.42 retail.

Add UV/Abrasion Guard Overprint = $14.80 to the trade or $22.20 retail.

Approx. print time = 3.5 minutes for 1 color
Approx. cut time = 4 minutes
Approx. weed time = 30 seconds
Approx. trim time = 3 minutes

Vinyl used = 74 inches @ $.42 per inch to the trade or $.63 retail.
Foil used = 74 inches @ $.20 per inch per color to the trade or $.30 retail.
Weeding and trimming is included at those prices. We do not deliver unweeded and untrimmed work.

Total time to produce job if 1 color = 11 minutes
Total time to produce job if 1 color + UV overprint = 15 minutes
Total time to produce job if 4 color = 23 minutes
Total time to produce job if 4 color + UV overprint = 27 minutes

Cost of Materials = $2.10 for vinyl and $2.10 for each foil color.

I am thinking an Edge set-up might make a great "niche" business.....Not meaning me....just talking out loud....