Embroiderers must account for thread costs, machine maintenance, stabilizers, and digitizing fees. Price custom designs and bulk orders profitably.
Optimize your pricing strategy with AI-powered insights
Enter your shop name for a personalized PDF report with your business name.
How many items do you expect to sell each month?
💡 Why needed? Fixed costs (Rent/Labor) must be split by each item. Lower sales = Higher cost per item. We need this to calculate your min break-even price.
Percentage of items that are wasted or unsold.
✅ Price is above break-even $18.35. You are making profit!
How much will you charge for one item?
Net Profit
$3325
per month
Margin
26.6%
profit margin
Break-Even
312
units/month
✓ Margin Detected: Your 26.6% profit margin is healthy for the cafe industry. You need to sell 312 units to break even, currently projecting 500 units.
Required Volume Growth ≥17% to break even
Current Expectation: 30% ✅
Machine embroidery is priced primarily by stitch count and piece handling, not thread. A common formula is a per-1,000-stitch rate ($0.50–1.50) plus a per-piece handling charge, with a one-time digitizing fee ($15–50) for new designs. Thread is cheap; your costs are machine time, stabilizer, hooping labor and digitizing — and bulk orders should drop the per-piece price as setup is amortized.
Converting a logo to a stitch file takes time or money once per design. Absorbing it free means small first orders lose money.
Thread costs almost nothing; stitch count drives machine time. A dense design takes far longer than a simple one of the same size.
Hooping, trimming and finishing each piece is manual time. A per-piece handling charge covers it on top of the stitch rate.
Setup is fixed, so a 6-piece order and a 200-piece order shouldn't be the same per-unit price. Tier pricing by quantity.
Once your pricing works, these are the tools small operators use to take payments, keep books, and market.
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Charge by stitch count — commonly $0.50–1.50 per 1,000 stitches — plus a per-piece handling fee, plus a one-time digitizing fee of $15–50 for new designs. The calculator above helps you turn stitch count and handling into a price.
It's a one-time charge to convert artwork into an embroidery stitch file. Since it's per design rather than per piece, bill it upfront so small first orders don't lose money on setup.
A small but dense design can have more stitches — and more machine time — than a larger light one. Stitch count reflects the actual time and is the fairest basis for pricing.
Yes. Digitizing and setup are fixed, so spreading them over more pieces lowers the per-unit cost. Tier your pricing so large runs get a lower per-piece rate.
They're small per piece but real across volume. They're usually folded into the handling charge rather than billed separately, but they shouldn't be ignored entirely.
Many small business owners use the "3x material cost" rule or simply match competitor prices. The problem? This ignores your unique cost structure. Your rent might be higher, your waste rate different, or your labor costs vary by location. This calculator reveals your true break-even point and ensures sustainable pricing.
Download a clean, shareable PDF of your pricing breakdown — cost structure, break-even point, and profit scenarios — completely free, with no sign-up. Useful for partners, lenders, or your own records.