Primal Decals 621 Posted February 9, 2015 Hope you can help or have ideas on this.Im trying to make sure in in the right ballpark with what im charging .I know that i could be charging certain amounts for design time etc,but im more concerned on just material markup. I was curious if there is a markup everyone is doing for example material like oracal 651 and 751.If you know your cost of what the material cost you per foot or square inch etc, is there a percentage you add to the cost to make sure you are making or charging enough. For example my buddy that owns a Photography printing shop charges like 2.75% to his cost of material and ink etc to get his profit cost. Also If i understand it correctly,i got a vinyl calculator spread sheet off here once and changed the figures as needed to show what my cost of roll of material would be etc per sq ft and sq inch etc,and the numbers are showing me for example a roll of oracal 751 matte black($59.00)24"x10yds is like a .98 per square foot my cost and a 6"x50" window decal 1 color ends up being $2.05 my cost? Am i doing this right or missing something...These numbers are what the spread sheet tells me .. Thank you everyone in advance. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slice&dice 2,450 Posted February 9, 2015 Your numbers are correct. Vinyl is cheap. Labor is expensive. Also, when calculating mark-up for substrates, I'm routinely tripling my cost. If a sheet of MaxMetal (diBond) 4x8 costs $75, I will be figuring $225 just for that material, and then add the vinyl & application. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KYSIGN 233 Posted February 9, 2015 Your numbers per sq ft may be correct but you would use 24" x 52" of material when cutting a single 6" x 50" decal. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Primal Decals 621 Posted February 9, 2015 So just so i know , what would you charge for a 6"x40 in 1 color window decal? if your cost was 2.05?thnx Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Primal Decals 621 Posted February 9, 2015 Why such a large area for that KYSIGN?If you only are using everything within that size of area? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jaybyrd 3,770 Posted February 9, 2015 He doesn't save scraps. The customer pays for what comes off the roll which is how some people do it. Personally I do it the other way but both are fairly common in the trade. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Primal Decals 621 Posted February 9, 2015 oh ok Jaybird .Thnx. I do save scraps. And it works perfect Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Go-C Graphics 856 Posted February 9, 2015 Your numbers are correct. Vinyl is cheap. Labor is expensive. Also, when calculating mark-up for substrates, I'm routinely tripling my cost. If a sheet of MaxMetal (diBond) 4x8 costs $75, I will be figuring $225 just for that material, and then add the vinyl & application. Good lord........ Why didn't anyone tell me that? I haven't been charging enough. Seriously, I find myself saying that alot. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KYSIGN 233 Posted February 10, 2015 Like jaybird said I will charge the customer for the scrap or waste. It depends on the job and sometimes other jobs in the queue. My prices are competitive and I don't work for free. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slice&dice 2,450 Posted February 10, 2015 It depends on the job and ...I don't work for free. Strange business concept. Why not? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VinylRevamp 93 Posted February 10, 2015 <blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="KYSIGN" data-cid="384974" data-time="1423521435"><p> Your numbers per sq ft may be correct but you would use 24" x 52" of material when cutting a single 6" x 50" decal.</p></blockquote> I've never thought of doing this...sounds right. Thanks!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KYSIGN 233 Posted February 10, 2015 I stock 15" and 24" in the most popular colors to minimize waste. I have found that once the vinyl is off the roll it gets dusty, scratched, scuffed and bent. The previous example would be an extreme case. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Primal Decals 621 Posted February 10, 2015 Thanks for your input Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Primal Decals 621 Posted February 10, 2015 So im curious what you guys would charge for a typical 5"Tx 40W decal for windows in matte white nothing else. For example NOR CAL OFF ROADERS Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
levy4u 19 Posted February 11, 2015 I'm new to this world as well and until I find a pricing scheme I am comfortable with and know what I am dealing with, I do $0.11/sq inch so that would be $22. Now if they wanted 4 of them, you could fit all 4 in that same 40"w on a 24" cutter. So $22 x 4 = $88, to me that sounds high so I would switch to $1/linear inch which would be $40 and say it was a quantity discount. Seems like a big discount to me which i why I mentioned being comfortable in the first sentence...sending out that email with the 2 prices would feel strange but always posting on here "What should I charge" is a crutch (to me) but until I figure out the scenarios and how to price them accordingly, it is my/our only option. Another way is (L+W)/2 , so (5+40)/2 = $22.5, and 4 of them (24+40)/2 = $32 . As you can see there are a few pricing models and each one gives a pretty different price. The trick is to use the correct one for the situation and also take into account your time on the job and the cost of materials etc. All things I am trying to figure out myself as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jaybyrd 3,770 Posted February 11, 2015 When doing l+w/2 why would you figure 4 together differently that 4 at the per unit price? Does your labor get cheaper or your electric etc. The problem so many around here have is they can't wrap their head around the fact that the vinyl is the cheapest part on the equation not the only part. Personally I hate working for pennies which is why I don't mess with selling decals on ebay or etsy. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted February 11, 2015 When doing l+w/2 why would you figure 4 together differently that 4 at the per unit price? Does your labor get cheaper or your electric etc. The problem so many around here have is they can't wrap their head around the fact that the vinyl is the cheapest part on the equation not the only part. Personally I hate working for pennies which is why I don't mess with selling decals on ebay or etsy. amen Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
levy4u 19 Posted February 11, 2015 I guess to me being the person doing it, peeling away a 5" strip vs a 24" strip is really no additional labor (but it is). These are the things i need to get in my head, please preach away! I definitely don't want to be the lowest price around, i figured total vinyl area is used in the formula. My normal routine is to google a related job such as "Single Color Vinyl Decal" and see what the top websites come up as and use their calculator. Then I do a method of my choosing and see if i am comparable. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Primal Decals 621 Posted February 11, 2015 Im Actually charging $30 for 1 of these 5"x40". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Primal Decals 621 Posted February 11, 2015 I found this..... http://thesignexpert.com/sign-pricing-calculators/vinyl-calculator/ Not sure how accurate it is ,,To me it seems low unless you choose "intricate "under complexity of graphic.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jaybyrd 3,770 Posted February 11, 2015 I just did a 4x56 graphic on there and it only added $2 for a second color. I'd be leery of pricing off that. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Primal Decals 621 Posted February 11, 2015 Thats what i thought Jaybird.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wildgoose 4,200 Posted February 11, 2015 I charge for the whole width of the vinyl roll and stick the excess in my stockpile and often re-sell it to someone wanting something small enough to utilize it. When I re-sell I usually give them a price break based on it being a scrap piece but I usually tell them that too so I'm not locked into any perceived pricing structure if they happen to pay attention to the invoice. (assuming it has an invoice since it came from the "paid for" pile). I make sure that my clients know that the vinyl itself isn't the expense for the most part and that the machinery and labor (and know how) are what decide the costs. Also I usually charge sales tax on the materials separately because I hate the state getting sales tax on my labor which is what happens if I price based on a per piece basis or a basic SF pricing structure. If you are doing little decals this would be a PIA to break out every time so not feasible. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Primal Decals 621 Posted February 12, 2015 i still havent seen if anybody will. say what they charge for an example 4x40 decal for window.. nothing special just plain matte white.. Unless its a secret code to not say what each person makes .. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jaybyrd 3,770 Posted February 12, 2015 Cash and carry $20. No logic to it i just charge what I feel is appropriate. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
