Pricing
There are several components that factor into a project’s pricing. All components are directly related to costs incurred during the production life-cycle. Costs include blank garments, setting up machines, preparing screens, ink, etc. The main components that apply to every order and weigh most heavily on pricing are Product Customization and Blank Garment Procurement.
The below information describes each component and the variables that effect their pricing. This information is intended to help customers better understand a project’s production life-cycle from a pricing perspective. See the Value Engineering page for common stratagies used to decrease a project's price while maintaining the overall quality and look.
Product Customization Pricing
This component carries the most weight when it comes to a project’s pricing due in most part to the material and labor intensive tasks associated with product customization. A common customer misconception is that upon approval of artwork, all that is required to fulfill the order is for a Row Apparel representative to push the “magic button” and the project will be created in an automated fashion. This is unfortunately not the case...yet. Each project is manufactured specifically for the customer. The steps within a production life-cycle determine which variables will be applied to the pricing and to what degree.- Main Variables:
Set-up Pricing: This pricing is associated with preparing printing and embroidery machines for production and is dependent on the graphics and printing methods being used, not the quantity of products being printed. The total set-up pricing does not change when adding products; however, as the quantity increases, the total set-up pricing can be distributed over the products which decrease the effective per unit set-up price.
Set-up pricing is fixed when you view it from the project’s total pricing standpoint and variable when assessing the per unit pricing.
Run-Charge Pricing: This pricing is associated with printing and embroidering individual products. The total run charge will increase as the quantity of products being customized increases.
Run-charge pricing is variable when viewed from the project’s total pricing standpoint and fixed when assessing the per unit pricing. The caveat is that there are certain predetermined price break thresholds that when exceeded will reduce the per unit run-charge price.
Additional Screen Printing Variables: As described above, quantity plays a big factor in the set-up and run-charge pricing. The following variables are also taken into account when establishing product customization pricing.
Number of Graphics: The more graphics, the higher the set-up and per unit run-charge pricing. Each graphic requires its own set of screens, thus the more graphics the higher the set-up price. After a graphic is printed, it will require the product to be removed from the machine, the ink cured in a drier, then put back on the machine to receive the next graphic. The more graphics you have, the more times the product has to go through this process, thus the higher run-charge pricing.
Number of Colors: As noted above, each graphic requires a set of screens. The number of screens per graphic is determined by the amount of colors within the graphic (every color gets its own screen). The more colors, the more screens, and thus a higher set-up price. As the amount of colors increases, the amount of time it takes to print a graphic increases which is reflected in the higher run-charge pricing.
Additional Embroidery Variables: Embroidery pricing is reliant on the size of the graphic and amount of detail. These characteristics determine the amount of stitches needed to embroider the graphic on a product which is used to price the set-up and run-charge. The more stitches, the more work required during the digitization process (convert graphic into machine code). Likewise, the more stitches, the longer the graphic takes to embroider, thus a higher run-charge price. Similar to screen printing, the number of graphics on a product will effect the price as well.
Example- Production Variable ComparisonThe following table helps illustrate how quantity, set-up pricing, and run-charge pricing are related as well as puts the total cost and per unit cost views into perspective.
Scenario 1
(Total/ Per Unit)Scenario 2
(Total/ Per Unit)Scenario 3
(Total/ Per Unit)Quantity 20 units 45 units 100 units Set-up Pricing $90/ $4.50 $90/ $2.00 $90/ $0.90 Run-charge Pricing $70/ $3.50 $157.50/ $3.50 $200/ $2.00 Total Production Pricing $160/ $8.00 $247.50/ $5.50 $290/ $2.90 * Note: prices shown above are for example purposes only and may or may not be actual prices extended to a customer.
As seen in the above example, from a per unit cost standpoint it is more cost friendly to go with Scenario 3 ($2.90/ unit), not only because costs are better distributed across more units, but also because of the decreased per unit run-charge that occurs when going from 45 units to 100 units ($3.50/ unit to $2.00/ unit). This example is intended to help illustrate how production pricing is assessed. Customer’s quantity needs and/ or budgets typically define how a project is structured.
- Main Variables:
Blank Product Procurement
We do enough buiness with our vendors and manufacturers that they extend us the lowest per unit cost available regardless of the quantity ordered (known as piece pricing). We pass this pricing advantage directly to our customers. This means that whether you buy 1 item or 500 items, the blank product pricing will be the same. With orders over 1,000 units we are able to negotiate further discounts.
Some blank products are produced on-demand or are pre-packaged with a set amount of units. Said products will typically have a minimum order quantity (see Minimum Order Quantity page for more info). The MOQ will vary per product, but is typically around twelve (12) units. If applicable, the product page will display the required product’s MOQ. Row Apparel is able to fulfill orders that do not meet product MOQs; however, will need to asses them on a per project basis.Other Variables
- Artwork
- Fabric Treatment and Dying
- Taxes and Fees
- Royalties
