Help with pricing -- Photocopies, Prints, Products? Is there a difference anymore??

[jdr999]

Hi guys,

I'm a bit confused about pricing strategies. I'm trying to figure out if "products" such as flyers, brochures, postcards, etc. should be priced exactly the same as copies / prints.

For example, I have established copy / print pricing for my Xerox machines for B&W and color on various stocks.

Is a product such as a tri-fold brochure priced as the sum of its parts (appropriate copy/print price + fold)?

Should these products have a markup for pre-flighting, setup and expected waste?

Should there be a markup added to cover the cost of the W2P software & supplied templates?

When a customer gives me a 2UP pdf that they want 50 copies of is it a copy / print or is it a postcard? What do I price it as??

Thanks!
Joe

 

[Keith]

It's up to you, really. But it does help a lot to know what other shops are doing. I'll try to offer some answers:

Tri-fold brochure price? - Generally, yes. Copy/print price plus fold. These are considered a commodity item so the going price may be less than your costs. I don't do a lot of brochures because a lot of shops do them for such ridiculously low prices. Unless they want a brochure with custom folding or special paper, than you can value price it.

Markup for preflighting, etc.? - Absolutely. Definitely. Must. For sure. You better be.

Markup for W2P software, etc? - See above. I believe this should fall under your overhead.

Customer gives you a 2up file? - Punch them in the face.

 

[dabob]

Joe . . . the first thing I would do is some "secret shopping" get an email address and phone # that doesn't go back to your business and call/email you local competition with some spec jobs so you can see what they are charging for what you are interested in producing. Once you get their prices you will be in a much better position to determine if you can compete with them . . .

good luck