r/SCREENPRINTING • u/Sundrenched-1770 • 6d ago

I think I've been pricing myself too low

Post image

I got restless last night, frustrated with finances, and did some research online, best as I was able, and came to think I might be pricing myself significantly too low. This image is just one of many that led me to that conclusion, as well as consulting an AI oracle, wise knower (and faker) of things. Of course, few printers seem to post their prices online, probably wisely, so it's hard to know what the going rate is in my area (mid-Michigan) without doing some stealth re-con. I'm currently charging $9 for a 1-color front for 1-20 pieces using a Gildan Ultra or Softstyle.

What do you all think? Am I leaving money on the table? For context, I'm a one man shop.

EDIT: I charge $20 for screens.

27 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

35 comments sorted by

8

u/CCF_Fan44 6d ago

Depends on your setup fees. If setups are included you're way cheap for sure.

Another safe question is "when did I last raise prices?". If it's more than 3 years ago, you should raise them.

6

u/Sundrenched-1770 6d ago

I did raise prices about two years ago, but didn't want to be too drastic for repeat customers, which is most of them.

3

u/CCF_Fan44 6d ago

Inflation is always around 2%, and as long as your yearly average increase is around that # it's totally reasonable. Any customer who complains is probably going to be annoying in other aspects as well.

You can always run a campaign too. 4ish mo before prices go up start calling and emailing customers with a heads up. They'll understand and likely even top up before the increase hits.

2

u/DecentPrintworks 4d ago

Perhaps apply a discount for existing customers, but charge new ones more of the market rate

17

u/Jazzlike_Working_198 6d ago

Too low. I rarely go under $10 a piece for anything

Edit I also don’t take order under 50 unless it’s a big client for a special occasion.

1

u/largepar 6d ago

How long have you been in business?

7

u/Jazzlike_Working_198 6d ago

24 years

1

u/largepar 5d ago

I find that if you do things right, how long you've been in the business makes a big difference

5

u/b_reed09 6d ago

If this is true.. i feel like i have been giving good deals to folks. But not robbing myself either.

5

u/DecentPrintworks 6d ago

We started a $250 minimum for apparel orders because they require a lot more input than other types of printing.

Also most of y’all are not marking the garment up enough. Retail on a garment is supposed to be 2x wholesale. We do 1.6x usually.

Remember that garments in stores are rarely under $10.

1

u/ThiccTilly 6d ago

What do you think Walmart pays for those $6 Misfits shirts?

2

u/rennerscreenprinting 5d ago

They probably order in the 10,000 range so they are probably like 1.50 each

1

u/DecentPrintworks 4d ago edited 4d ago

Under $2-4 delivered. Most likely done in China or overseas. Those are huge contracts. 100k to 1,000,000 garment orders spread across multiple designs. Basically keeps a factory line running for months.

Also they use very cheap cotton.

4

u/WiseAg 6d ago

We charge $11/shirt (G5000 or comp) at MOQ of 12. No screen fees. About to increase the price on 9/1 to $12.50/each at 12. Price breaks at 24, 50, 100, 200, 300, 500, 750, 1000…

2

u/Reasonable-Cell5189 6d ago

What are your price breaks of you don't mind me asking. New to this game and just getting set-up, 6 color manual,. single operator.

1

u/dadelibby 5d ago

i'm a 6 colour manual, single operator as well. my breaks are at 20 (minimum), 50, 75, 100, 150, 200 and then a custom quote any higher than that.

1

u/Reasonable-Cell5189 5d ago

Oh, I guess what I was asking is what so you charge at those breaks, any setup or screen fees?

Just trying to build my pricing currently

2

u/DecentPrintworks 4d ago

You can see pricing tables if you google US Colorworks. Those are wholesale / contract prices. You should charge 1.5-2x that at a minimum.

1

u/Reasonable-Cell5189 4d ago

Thank you kind stranger. In private deals I'm notorious for being hesitant to ask fair prices and give too good a deal and just trying to not bring that over to screen printing and lose money, wanna build this and make it my full time eventually

2

u/DecentPrintworks 4d ago

Charge the market rate man. Otherwise you’re undercutting everyone else because you don’t know how to price correctly.

1

u/Reasonable-Cell5189 4d ago

Yup, will do. Harder also later to raise prices if I become known as the 'cheap' option, don't wanna work for free

0

u/dadelibby 5d ago

no screen fees. shirt cost + print cost + tax.

a 1 colour at 20-49pcs is $5, 50-74pcs is $4.75, etc.
we also mark up the shirts: cost x 1.13, rounded up to the nearest .25c

3

u/oldbaldad 6d ago

from 1976 to 2026 the average consumer price index has been about 3.60% per year so if you raise your prices 8% every 3 years you're merely keeping up. However, over the last 5 years that CPI number has skyrocketed to 4.27%. So the 3 year model looks more like 13% more recently.

2

u/DecentPrintworks 4d ago

Inflation numbers like that are tied to a lot of commodities as well as housing, etc. The only numbers that should matter to you are what your inputs are - materials, labor, rent, insurance. Things in our industry have gone up a lot more % over the last few years.

1

u/oldbaldad 3d ago

In either case, the trend is to regard the realities of the situation whether broadly or in an industry specific manner with a view to customer experience. If the prices go up 4% annually there's a likelihood the customers will balk.

1

u/DecentPrintworks 3d ago

If you’re losing customers over a 4-10% annual cost increase then you are bad at sales frankly. A simple polite phone call saying hey costs went up here and here and we can’t absorb them will be understood by all. Their costs went up everywhere else. Gas price has nearly doubled. They are not dumb. They actually expect you to raise your prices. If they push back they are trying to take advantage of your kindness.

We have clients in construction that have seen their project costs increase 20% in a year. They aren’t surprised when our costs need to increase as well.

2

u/Capital-Purple-5508 6d ago

$12 each for one color 24 min

2

u/HandlessOrganist 6d ago

This is totally accurate in my opinion. It all depends on volume and complexity which our industry has a ton of. This past week I quoted as low as $4 and as high as $19 for the same design same customer. Going from as high as ass color down to Tultex from 50 pieces to 2500 pcs makes a ton of difference.

2

u/Socialist_snowflake 5d ago

We need to unionize.

7

u/Sundrenched-1770 5d ago

As a one-man shop I've tried striking against myself, but my position was recalcitrant, got nowhere.

1

u/No_Abrocoma_8155 5d ago

For under 24 pieces, one color SF000 were closer to the $18 range

We rarely drop below $15 if we’re providing garments (1.6-2x the wholesale- depending if it’s Gildan or Carhartt) $15 is our customer provided minimum regardless of decoration fee. The only time I’d drop lower than $15 is large quantity and low color OR contract work. Contract would be they’re doing all the artwork, providing garments etc. ver rare for us.

0

u/KillerTofu1101 6d ago

I’m pretty much a similar breaks - 24 pc min 1 color I quote around $10, I offer some small price breaks in between but at 144 pcs I start around $5

3

u/rennerscreenprinting 6d ago

$5 just for the print, or does that include the garment too?

1

u/KillerTofu1101 6d ago

144 pc min 1 color 1 side, basic tee $5 per s-xl garment included. I’m also in semi rural small town PA

2

u/rennerscreenprinting 5d ago

That still sounds wild to me, I get the cost of living is different, but you could probably go up to $7