Billing Clients for Printing

tekton23

Hi,

I was wondering what is considered a reasonable rate when it comes to billing clients for printing. I am a designer and have to print many documents on behalf of clients.

What would you consider reasonable for say a double sided A3 sheet in colour, or a 50 page colour, double sided document?

Thanks!

T23

tonyh66

true cost of print(materials,electricity)+time spent on print+overheads and profit= how much to charge, simple business calculation.

John_Gray

Ask a few local print shops to quote you for the job.
You can then set a 'reasonable' rate based on the competition, having added in any factors particular to yourself.

Heedtheadvice

Or alternatively sub contract out the printing locally or online (can be very cheap!) - if the time you take to print/collate etc can be more beneficially used - and then add a markup.


Do compare local and online printing costs (both have their advantages and drawbacks) when deciding your charges if printing output yourself!


Tonyh's simple business calculation is a good starting point but you have to consider how much variation you put on the profit element (do you have competition, is the printing incidental to the main work so might you consider it almost irrelevent) factor in capital costs and depreciation, other running costs such as support/maintenance etc, loan and fee costs and a reasonable apportionment of those costs. You might decide that some or most of those are borne by the design elements of your business?


There are other financial considerations such as taking into account the equivalent return you could have had on your investment etc but all that is a bit more complex!!

System

Don't use cheap inks, they won't thank you in a few months time when they can either barely read it or all the black text is now brown.