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How do you price vinyl?
- Thread starter Justin
- Start date
Pat Whatley
New Member
Your problem is that the question has been answered....and explained....and answered....and explained but you're gonna keep digging until somebody spits out the answer you're looking for.
So.... if somebody want's a 1" letter then we charge them 55¢ for the letter. If they want 100 we charge them 55¢ each. Price goes up 15¢ per inch from there.
So, if they want a 1" letter I stop what I'm doing, go to the counter, listen to them explain what they want, get them a ruler so they can figure out what size they want, let them spend five minutes trying to figure out what letter style they are trying to match, listen to them tell me that my vinyl doesn't match the faded 5 year old letters they've already got, load the vinyl in the computer, typeset the number, cut it (which takes a 3" x 24" strip of vinyl), weed it, tape it, trim it, take it back to the counter, explain to them how to stick it on, ring it up, have to make change for a $20 bill, send them on their way, go back and figure out what I was working on and get back to work. After a couple of those orders I have to stop and go to the bank and get more change. Then the customer whose larger order I keep having to stop working on to cut little sticker jobs gets pissed off at the delays and cancels their order.
All of that for 55¢. That ought to keep the business coming in! Woo hoo!
Realistically don't get into selling partial feet of vinyl, it's just not worth the time to mess with it. If you're going to price by the foot charge by the whole linear foot so that you're already paid for it. If you do it any other way you're the one hoping that you sell that extra bit one day to recover your costs. If it makes you feel any better when they order a 15" Superman logo tell them they can go all the way up to 24" for the same price.
So.... if somebody want's a 1" letter then we charge them 55¢ for the letter. If they want 100 we charge them 55¢ each. Price goes up 15¢ per inch from there.
So, if they want a 1" letter I stop what I'm doing, go to the counter, listen to them explain what they want, get them a ruler so they can figure out what size they want, let them spend five minutes trying to figure out what letter style they are trying to match, listen to them tell me that my vinyl doesn't match the faded 5 year old letters they've already got, load the vinyl in the computer, typeset the number, cut it (which takes a 3" x 24" strip of vinyl), weed it, tape it, trim it, take it back to the counter, explain to them how to stick it on, ring it up, have to make change for a $20 bill, send them on their way, go back and figure out what I was working on and get back to work. After a couple of those orders I have to stop and go to the bank and get more change. Then the customer whose larger order I keep having to stop working on to cut little sticker jobs gets pissed off at the delays and cancels their order.
All of that for 55¢. That ought to keep the business coming in! Woo hoo!
Realistically don't get into selling partial feet of vinyl, it's just not worth the time to mess with it. If you're going to price by the foot charge by the whole linear foot so that you're already paid for it. If you do it any other way you're the one hoping that you sell that extra bit one day to recover your costs. If it makes you feel any better when they order a 15" Superman logo tell them they can go all the way up to 24" for the same price.
Thanks. Well it's pennies in a sense, but customers around here don't really think of it like oh he's a better designer, he'll get it done faster, etc.. I have a few sign shops in my area, and one charges $15.00 for a 1 color 24" yard sign, and one charges $10.00. I know they buy Fellers shine-rite vinyl at $23.99 for 10 yards.(the one who charges $10.00 for the 24" yard sign).
So what I am thinking I should be calculating by atleast from what I currently know.
is square inches.
Vinyl Cost
10 yard=360" 24" wide roll
8,640 sq in Cost:$23.99
so it costs him $0.00278 per sq in + add in for shipping/taxes which I didn't add in
18" x 24" (just sayin for example). = $1.20 cost in vinyl only.
Application Tape Cost
100 yard = 3600 inches 24" wide roll
86400 sq in Cost:$55.74
so it costs him $0.00064 per sq in + add in for shipping/taxes which I didn't add in
18" x 24" = $0.28 in application tape only.
so if I am right in calculations, and such it costs $1.48 + cost of coroplast+shop costs(hourly wage, electric, markup, etc..). right?
Thanks. I am appreciative of your post. I know you guys probably are into the bigger jobs now, but I am not yet, but hope to be when I learn more. I know this piddly stuff isn't much, but I really was curious of what you all calculated/formulated in these types of instances. Thanks again.
PS: You sound like you've been around the block in this sign stuff LOL!
Tim Aucoin
New Member
Personally, I don't mind the repetitive questions too much... that's how I tend to learn so much and sometimes a little refresher isn't a bad thing! 
I've pretty much struggled with pricing cut vinyl ever since I started offering the service a few years back now. Fortunately the business doesn't depend on cut vinyl to pay the bills, as we have other much more lucrative profit centres that do that for us. I sometimes use cut vinyl as a lost leader to gain other business from a customer (go ahead everybody... take your shots at that one!).
When I invoice cut vinyl, I calculate my cost per inch/foot of the entire width of the roll whether I'm cutting a single letter or an entire line of text/graphics. Customer pays for the waste! I won't get into numbers here, but that's really irrelevant anyhow, as we all charge different rates. If I'm cutting a word for a customer on 15" vinyl and it is going to take 24" in length to do, I bill out the vinyl as a 15" x 24" piece. If the customer happens to want 2 pieces and they fit within that same size, then the vinyl cost stays the same but the labor charge is higher.
All that said, I do nothing for less than $25. I don't care if it's a 5¢ in vinyl and a 5 second weed & mask job..!
My 5¢ worth on the topic!
I've pretty much struggled with pricing cut vinyl ever since I started offering the service a few years back now. Fortunately the business doesn't depend on cut vinyl to pay the bills, as we have other much more lucrative profit centres that do that for us. I sometimes use cut vinyl as a lost leader to gain other business from a customer (go ahead everybody... take your shots at that one!).
When I invoice cut vinyl, I calculate my cost per inch/foot of the entire width of the roll whether I'm cutting a single letter or an entire line of text/graphics. Customer pays for the waste! I won't get into numbers here, but that's really irrelevant anyhow, as we all charge different rates. If I'm cutting a word for a customer on 15" vinyl and it is going to take 24" in length to do, I bill out the vinyl as a 15" x 24" piece. If the customer happens to want 2 pieces and they fit within that same size, then the vinyl cost stays the same but the labor charge is higher.
All that said, I do nothing for less than $25. I don't care if it's a 5¢ in vinyl and a 5 second weed & mask job..!
My 5¢ worth on the topic!
Personally, I don't mind the repetitive questions too much... that's how I tend to learn so much and sometimes a little refresher isn't a bad thing!
I've pretty much struggled with pricing cut vinyl ever since I started offering the service a few years back now. Fortunately the business doesn't depend on cut vinyl to pay the bills, as we have other much more lucrative profit centres that do that for us. I sometimes use cut vinyl as a lost leader to gain other business from a customer (go ahead everybody... take your shots at that one!).
When I invoice cut vinyl, I calculate my cost per inch/foot of the entire width of the roll whether I'm cutting a single letter or an entire line of text/graphics. Customer pays for the waste! I won't get into numbers here, but that's really irrelevant anyhow, as we all charge different rates. If I'm cutting a word for a customer on 15" vinyl and it is going to take 24" in length to do, I bill out the vinyl as a 15" x 24" piece. If the customer happens to want 2 pieces and they fit within that same size, then the vinyl cost stays the same but the labor charge is higher.
All that said, I do nothing for less than $25. I don't care if it's a 5¢ in vinyl and a 5 second weed & mask job..!
My 5¢ worth on the topic!
Thanks! You posted exactly what I was looking for! I figured most people charge for the entire used area.. Excellent post!
Gino
Premium Subscriber
Oh boy, but how I love these kinda threads.
Sticker.......
It's really not about pennies, dollars, square inches or feet.... but how you conduct yourself in business. If you come across as being interested in square inches of your livelihood, you're gonna remain there the rest of your born days. You're never gonna attract the big fish in the pond, because your catering to the little guys. You won't be able to see yourself as ever growing because you're focusing on the most minute part of the business and turning it from a well designed and manufactured sign into a chumpy cheap sign made for pennies.
On the other hand...... seriously, do you realize how many of your competitors can see exactly what you're doing here... even if they don't belong. You're spilling your whole business plan out for anyone to see... even possible end-users if they can navigate half decently on the internet. Everyone has been vague up to this point and made everything in mathematical terms, but you spell out where you buy it, what brand it is, what is costs and how you intend to serve it to your customers. Anyone wanna blow your doors in could do it in a few weeks time based on your current knowledge and approach to this industry. You're just crying for someone to put you out of your misery.
I'd like to suggest your joining the 'PREMIUM' section and learn more... where the membership can really help and maybe benefit you.
Sticker.......
It's really not about pennies, dollars, square inches or feet.... but how you conduct yourself in business. If you come across as being interested in square inches of your livelihood, you're gonna remain there the rest of your born days. You're never gonna attract the big fish in the pond, because your catering to the little guys. You won't be able to see yourself as ever growing because you're focusing on the most minute part of the business and turning it from a well designed and manufactured sign into a chumpy cheap sign made for pennies.
On the other hand...... seriously, do you realize how many of your competitors can see exactly what you're doing here... even if they don't belong. You're spilling your whole business plan out for anyone to see... even possible end-users if they can navigate half decently on the internet. Everyone has been vague up to this point and made everything in mathematical terms, but you spell out where you buy it, what brand it is, what is costs and how you intend to serve it to your customers. Anyone wanna blow your doors in could do it in a few weeks time based on your current knowledge and approach to this industry. You're just crying for someone to put you out of your misery.
I'd like to suggest your joining the 'PREMIUM' section and learn more... where the membership can really help and maybe benefit you.
By the way...... do you enjoy torture ?? 
Pat Whatley
New Member
I know it's a pain to figure prices, especially when you're just starting out and until you get your feet under you it's hard to turn down anything (heck, I had two months right after real estate tanked that I would have cut peeing Calvin's if somebody had asked). Honestly, if the market in your area is only getting $15 for an 18x24 sign then you're gonna have a hard time making a living...it will be damn near impossible if you're only doing small signs. Do them better, charge more for them, and work yourself away from that type of work as soon as you can.
Ponto
New Member
Ummm, yeah, ... some might argue a little harsh, but yeah!!!!!!!...sounds like a no brainer to me!!!!!!!!
JP
The answer is shop minimum. You have to talk to the guy, set the file, load material, have waste, proof the file, weed, mask, write an invoice, track the taxes yada yada yada plus a hundred other bits of overhead to cover. You will not go out of business charging an hour, you might loose 50% of the folks wanting a 'sticker' but they were loosing propositions as customers before they walked in the door. In the end you will only do 1/2 of those types of pain in the *** jobs but you will make money on the ones that you do. Call your plumber and ask him to come over and install a five cent screw and see what he charges. The customers that you are left with will be good actual customers and if they me to cut them one letter or something insignificant I don't even charge them I give it to them! They remember it and don't squak when they are writing me the $1k checks.
Pat, people say they only pay $8 for business cards and I can sell them all day long for $125. People pay for quality, service... ... I try and forget what everyone else is charging and sell the sign that I make. He is just mistaken, it's the birth and mentality of a low baller, he will go broke and hurt the market as much as he can before he goes out. It's like saying pants cost $8 because they do at wall mart and thinking that the high end stores in town are not selling hundreds of pairs of $200 pants every day.
I'm not saying that at all, and it's pretty bad your judging me based on what little I have posted here. Would you have liked someone saying that to you starting out? Would you like me to make everything you say degrading, or act like I have done better than you? I'm not saying I know more than ANY of you. I'm here to learn. I asked a question, and a few of you feel like beating around the bush, or acting like fools. Would you like me to start prank calling your shop asking for everything for 10 bucks? I don't think you, I, or anyone else would like someone acting like a child when someone is asking a question.
Some of you need to remember the old saying. Do unto others, as you would want them to do unto you. or really what is basically developed from - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Rule
Yep. When someone comes in asking for a "In Memory of" sticker for their car, or some other cockamamie idea for a sticker I tell them its at least $50. I often refer them to a flea market where there is some dude who charges by the inch. On the other hand, when a good customer comes in with a little personal sticker thingy, I'll charge them $10 or $20 bucks. I like making my customers happy. I'm not going to give away my time to strangers.
bob
It's better to have two hands than one glove.
For material you charge for what you have to unroll to do a job. Including leaders and trailers. Then it becomes very simple, you charge by the linear foot of material, rounded off to the next foot.
Once unrolled the media never gets back on the roll.
OldPaint
New Member
to make it a simple answer.........I CHARGE THE CLIENT FOR THE VINYL I PUT IN THE TRASH CAN!!!!! so if you got 24" wide vinyl and you cut something that is 15-16" square, you are using up 2 sq ft a vinyl. actually it is 1 1/2 sq ft, but then add the transfer tape.......................
Hey Stickers, I re-read my post and I apologize to you. I just came in from 2 days of actual digging with only 2 hours sleep (and I am not cut out for that). Mind you I am apologizing for saying that you would go out of business. That being said, everything else I posted I believe to be true and I spent the time writing the post to give you valuable information that you can think about and possibly apply to your own business model if you so choose. Again, no ill will here.
Locals Find!
New Member
If 18x24 signs are selling that low in your area. Put the plotter in the corner and start subbing them out. I can sell 10 18x24 signs full color 2 sided for that price putting profit into my pocket and spend less than half the time on the entire job than you will for the one sign.
Oh wow! Sounds good to me LOL! We mainly have 2 sign business in the area, and well now me, which I just started less than a month ago.
Salmon, thanks. I'm still learning, and just really want to do well. I like this idea, and really enjoy printing, and designing even though I may not be uber pro yet. I am trying.
Thanks everyone for the replies! I hope I can continue learning from you all, and be a positive to this community in a area I have experience with(commercial truck driving, office machine sales/service, web design, programming).
Locals Find!
New Member
Signs365.com is a merchant member here. Go get an account there you won't regret it. It might give you enough of a boost to be able to survive the initial startup period while you learn the lessons these guys are giving to you. I learned a lot from them myself. Even though they can seem harsh at times.