alignmentbud.com

Free tool

Laser engraving pricing calculator

Stop guessing what to charge. Enter your real costs and get a price that covers your materials, your machine, your time, and your fees, with profit left over.

1 · Materials
$

What you pay per blank, including your share of shipping.

$

Sealant, backing, box, tissue, label, anything that ships with it.

2 · Machine time
min

Job time from LightBurn's estimate, plus loading.

$/min

A hobby machine usually lands between $0.15 and $0.40.

3 · Your time
min

Design, setup, finishing, packing. Do not skip these.

$/hour
4 · Fees and profit
% of price

Marketplace, payment processing, and card fees. Check your current rates.

% of price

This is money left after every cost above. 20 to 40% is common.

Your price

$12.99

per piece, plus shipping. The exact minimum is $12.27.

Materials
$3.25
Machine time
$1.20
Your time
$2.67
Total cost
$7.12
Fees at this price
$1.56
Profit per piece
$4.31 (33%)

Break-even price: $8.09. Below that, you lose money on every sale.

Save your numbers for when you list it.

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The formula

How the price is worked out

  1. Materials = blank + finish + packaging
  2. Machine time = minutes on the machine × machine cost per minute
  3. Your time = hands-on minutes ÷ 60 × your hourly rate
  4. Cost = materials + machine time + your time
  5. Price = cost ÷ (1 − fee % − profit %)

Example: slate coaster

Blank $2.50 + felt and packaging $0.75 = $3.25. Machine: 4 min × $0.30 = $1.20. Your time: 8 min at $20/hour = $2.67. Cost: $7.12. With 12% fees and a 30% profit target, $7.12 ÷ 0.58 = about $12.27, so list it at $12.99 plus shipping.

Common questions

How do I price laser engraved products?

Add your materials, your machine time, and your hands-on time to get your cost. Then divide by 1 minus your fee percentage minus your profit percentage. That gives the lowest price that still leaves the profit you want after fees.

Why divide instead of adding a markup?

Fees and profit are a share of the selling price, not of your cost. A 30% markup on a $7 cost gives $9.10. After a 12% fee you keep about $1.00. Dividing by 0.58 gives about $12.27 and keeps your full 30% profit.

How much should I charge per minute for laser time?

Most hobby machines land between $0.15 and $0.40 per minute. Divide your monthly machine cost (payment plus upkeep) by the minutes it actually runs each month. The estimator in the calculator does this for you.

Should I count my own time?

Yes. Design, setup, finishing, and packing are real work. If you leave them out, your hourly rate is far lower than you think, and you cannot grow past what you can personally make.

What fees should I include on Etsy?

Etsy charges a transaction fee, a payment processing fee, and a listing fee, and may add advertising fees. About 12% of the sale price is a reasonable starting estimate. Check your own recent orders for the exact figure.

Price it right. Then burn it right.

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