basic text pricing

[haumana 1,220]

What would be a reasonable price for custom text? (and possibly graphics). At one of our local malls, there's a kiosk that will on-site cutting, weeding, and app tape. Out of curiosity I asked how much it cost and the girl told me $1/1". She didn't specify how tall and I kind of hinting that what it were some shaped like a bumper sticker, she said that it would be the cost of the longest side. They were using a Graphtec cutter.

Is that a reasonable price to charge? I know that weeding text is far more predictable than weeding a graphic. How do you charge if it's a moderate to difficult graphic? At what point do you just say - "oh hell no!" (Like trying to do a spiderman, Bob the Builders pin striped shirt, or teeny-weeny text)

[Benr98 40]

That is a good question, so I'll be sure to check back often for updates. 

I find pricing to be the hardest part of the whole business.  I started doing wall expressions and I don't even know what to really charge... 

Good question Humana.

Jenny

[haumana 1,220]

I guess out best guide might be other people's website 

I would say to use eBay, but then everyone would go broke. I can't imagine that I should charge so little on my everyday stuff for what some of the auction end at.

Before we got our local kiosks in the malls, the only other place I saw it was at a kiosk in a northern california mall. i had two decals cut for me. it was text using the  Papyrus (so it wasn't even something "special"), and all it was was a website address. The decals weren't more than 12" long, and I paid $10/each. Now knowing how much that material actually cost I feel totally ripped off, but i did look great  Maybe $1/1" isn't that bad of a deal - if it's simple weeding.

[firemalt 10]

The pricing should really reflect your time plus material costs. A decal with basic block lettering is going to be easier to weed and less time consuming than some fancy script font at the same size. Know what I mean?!?!

[CyberSultan 6]

It's not uncommon to see shops in my area charging $15 a square foot for text and $35.00 a square foot for graphics (which does not include any installation charges).

[Guest fivestar]

That's exactly what I charge, $1.00 an inch.  If it is 10"x 1" it's $10.00 if it's 10"x10" it's $10.00.  That's for simple text and simple graphics, complex graphics are more according to the complexity of the graphic.  I've never had anyone question my method of pricing yet.  BTW, that's for car window decals, cornhole boards I do sets for $20.00 and of course vehicle graphics are ALOT more as is storefront graphics.

[haumana 1,220]

Dude (Five) I sooo had to google image a cornhole board I'm guessing that means that if the client had a text line that ran about 10" x 1", then for the $10 you could (in theory) do 10 lines of the text for them at the same price, right?

Thanks Fire for the block vs. script. I'm reminded every once in a blue moon that thin lines suck.

Maybe I could figure out a "per board foot" like the lumber industry uses. It's so hard when people ask "how much" for something that is only pictured in their head. When I tell them that it depends on size, color, and complexity (I know that color for basic vinyl shouldn't make a difference, but I'm not a sign/banner shop, so I only carry a few colors). I'm thinking anything between .35 - 1.00 per square inch.

What do you guys think?

[JoeCamaro 11]

Whats your  square inch cost? When I get a roll it is less than a cent x sqr inch. I sell a 20 square inches deal for $3.99.

[haumana 1,220]

if it's a standard oracl 541 + the MT app tape, then it breaks down to 0.0054/square inch for materials.

I just wish there was an easier way to determine price. some kind of loose standard or something. I guess the biggest variable would be the complexity of weeding the design or text. ahh ... decisions, decisions. Thank goodness I don't do this for a living, else I would be broke because I'm too busy giving stuff away to friends and family. 

[Benr98 40]

Haumana, I have the same problem. Pricing  :-  I'm FINALLY getting better about shirt quotes....but when it comes to decals and such I don't have a clue at times.  I agree they need to have a 'standard' for this stuff.  Every area is charging different.  Than I check what others in the area are charging and try to cut right under them!   

Shipping sometimes is another issue, cause I try not to make money from shipping.

[haumana 1,220]

Shipping sometimes is another issue, cause I try not to make money from shipping.

Same here. I'm sure if I lived on the continental U.S. I'd be a huge eBay junkie, but since Hawai'i seems to be "foreign" or "international" to most sellers, that weeds through them pretty quickly, than it's a matter of wondering why people want to tack on an extra "handling" charge to ship it to me, even if the original method of shipping is USPS. As if shipping it to Hawai'i requires a different kind of box or envelope. Oh wait, I know, they need to waterproof all the parcels, since everything delivered to my grass shack comes to me via surfboard express. I'm sure JC and polarkiss have the same issue. Although I'm sure Alaska delivery requires a team of dogs and only gets delivered during the Iditarod. 

Gouging on shipping and handling is a no-no. It just makes people/companies look like they're greedy.

[JoeCamaro 11]

I have problems with shipping when it comes to buying, but when it comes to selling (me selling), I have had no problems. I have been running my online biz quite well.

JC

[Dellrose Custom Lighting 0]

For simple text, I charge $0.75 for the first 25 letters/symbols, and then $0.40/ea there after. Then depending on what the total price is, I might knock off a little bit to get an even price figure.

Back about 7-8 years ago, I had some 3" lettering cut for a truck that I had at the time, and they charged me more than that.

So I think I am charging a fair price for my area, I hope........

[kearn 0]

I understand what you are saying. I baught a pricing program on line that I felt would work. The problem is when you have local businesses that do vinyl they

under cut you to keep you from getting the job.The other problem is you spend considerable time designing and sending actual samples for approval just to

find out the person took them to another shop.This has happened 3 times in last 2 month. For the small shop or just starting shops it becomes very frustating.

Darrell

[Knobhill 0]

I understand what you are saying. I baught a pricing program on line that I felt would work. The problem is when you have local businesses that do vinyl they

under cut you to keep you from getting the job.The other problem is you spend considerable time designing and sending actual samples for approval just to

find out the person took them to another shop.This has happened 3 times in last 2 month. For the small shop or just starting shops it becomes very frustating.

Darrell

I agree with you, Seen this for many years both ways. My own shop rules are the client has to be present and I will not release my original designs until paid for. my 2cts

[gogetemgraphix 1]

ok, here's one for ya guys...and gals    what about 9...10' x 16" black lettering? they were 10 foot long and the letters for the signs were anywhere from 11" to 14" wide. what would you have charged for 9 of those? he put them on himself.

i have a 2007 price book but when i went by it on sq ft or ea letter size it was an ungodly price....well at least i thought it was...lol

i had a 10" scrap on each one i made, so should i charge for just what i used...how do i figure that? i have found that you don't always use your scraps and there is waste, so how do you determine something like that?

thanks

lue anne

[firemalt 10]

so how do you determine something like that?

Ease of the job...

On something like you're talking about, I would probably go with $5.00 to $7.00 per ft.

[gogetemgraphix 1]

i have had ....well don't know if i would call it trouble, but this one sign shop has been trying to under bid me because he has lost customers to me because i price under him.  so he's been a challenge to get around. i ended up doing that job for 250...i think he bidded low to.....you know what.

i am small time and i don't rely on it as a living where he does, and it is burning his butt.    besides, i usually get a tip for being so reasonable.  but where he bought his signs and put it on himself i didn't mind a bit....lol

thanks

lue anne

[jaembroidery 0]

just getting started. can anyone please explain to us the location to get font software and if we already have Corel that does Vector art does the cutters read this? we have many questions so please can anyone explain to us some of the software issues and where we can get software and any cost associated

thanks

allen & judy

[haumana 1,220]

to the forum!

I can't speak for Corel, but I can tell you that the cutter needs vector artwork to perform the cuts. Your questions might be better suited in the Corel bulletin board of this forum.

Start a new thread, and you're bound to get answers that are specific to your questions. I can only guess that you purchased a cutter from US Cutter which was shipped with Sign Blazer Elements (SBE). SBE is your cutting software. You would import your vector artwork into SBE, do whatever you need to do with it (rotate, resize, etc), then cut using SBE as well.

Good luck.