Pricing guide for sticker makers
Most underpricing comes from a cost that leaves something out: the packaging, the minutes, the stickers that did not come out right. Here is the formula, then one real example worked from start to finish: die-cut vinyl sticker, 3 in, which costs $0.78 per sticker and sells at $1.94.
Updated . Example prices checked on supplier sites the same month.
Margin is the share of the price you keep. A 50% margin means the price is twice the cost. A 60% margin means 2.5 times.
Small sticker shops often print 50 to 200 of a design at a time. This example prints 100 laminated 3 in die-cut stickers, 6 to a sheet with some waste, packed 5 to an order.
| Material | Used | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Weatherproof printable sticker sheet$77.49 for 100 pieces | 19 | $14.72 |
| Clear laminate sheet 9 x 12 in$16.99 for 20 pieces | 19 | $16.14 |
| Printer ink (color bottle)$16.99 for 70 ml | 19 ml | $4.61 |
| Backing card 5 x 7 in$39.00 for 1,125 pieces | 20 | $0.69 |
| Rigid mailer 6 x 8 in$42.00 for 100 pieces | 20 | $8.40 |
| Labour: 1 h 30 min at $20.00/hr | $30.00 | |
| Time on the cutter: 38 min at $5.00/hr | $3.17 | |
| Total for 100 stickers | $77.74 | |
| Cost per sticker | $0.78 | |
Prices change and shipping is extra. They are here to make the example real, not as a quote. Put your own prices in the calculator.
Shops that buy wholesale usually pay about half of the shop price. Half of $1.94 is $0.97. That still covers the $0.78 cost, with $0.19 left per sticker.
The sticker printing cost calculator starts with this example. Change the prices and amounts to yours and you have your cost and price in a minute. Save it as a recipe in Stockria and the cost stays right when a supplier changes a price.
Add sheets, laminate, ink, cutter time, packing and your time, shared over the good stickers. That is your cost. Divide by 1 minus your margin. A sticker that costs $1.50 sells at $3.75 for a 60% margin.
For small runs and many designs, often yes, if you count your time. For big runs of one design, compare your full cost per sticker with a print shop's price.
Packs share one card, one mailer and one round of packing over more stickers, so each sticker costs you less. A lower price per sticker in a pack can still keep your margin.