BUSINESS
A patch price that ignores digitizing, test sew-outs and file revisions is not a price; it is a donation. Here is a simple way to build a number that survives a real order.
Start with time, not thread
Thread cost is usually small compared with the work around it. For each order, estimate:
- Artwork cleanup and digitizing time
- Test sew-out and adjustments
- Machine run time, including colour changes and trims
- Hopping, trimming, backing and finishing
- Packing, payment fees and support
If the same logo is ordered again, the digitizing cost can be amortized. A one-off custom patch should carry the full setup cost.
A simple formula
Price = (materials + labour + machine time + overhead) × margin + setup fee.
Use real minutes, not optimistic ones. If a 100 mm patch takes 15 minutes of machine time and 10 minutes of finishing, that is 25 minutes before support. Add the cost of the blank, backing, thread, packaging and payment processing. Then apply a margin that lets you replace equipment and absorb failed tests.
Don’t compete on the cheapest patch
There is always a shop with a lower price and a worse file. Compete on the things that are hard to copy: clean edges, readable text, reliable turnaround, and a preview that matches the sew-out. Those are worth a premium.
Quote the production method honestly
If the artwork needs hybrid print because the text is 2 mm, say so before the customer pays for a stitch file. Offer the route that will actually look good, even if it is not the one they imagined. A disappointed customer after delivery costs more than a changed quote before production.
Track the real numbers
For ten jobs, record quoted minutes, actual minutes, material cost, failures and revisions. You will find that some “simple” logos take longer than complex ones because of cleanup. Adjust the next quote with that data.