Know exactly what each engraved piece costs you — material, electricity, time, and machine wear. Set prices that guarantee a profit.
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Based on standard retail markups for handmade/custom goods:
This calculator breaks down the true cost of producing a single laser engraved or laser cut piece into four components: material, electricity, machine depreciation, and labor. Most beginners only consider material cost and dramatically underprice their work as a result.
Your laser engraver loses value every hour it runs. A $1,500 machine with a 5-year lifespan effectively costs $25 per month — and that cost needs to be recovered through the pieces you produce. This calculator assumes 160 working hours per month (approximately 40 hours per week), which is reasonable for a side business or active hobby workshop. If you use your machine less, your per-piece depreciation cost is higher.
The general guideline for handmade and custom goods is to price at 2–4× your total cost. The 2× multiplier covers unforeseen expenses and gives a minimal margin. The 3× multiplier is considered standard for craft markets and Etsy. The 4× multiplier is appropriate for premium, custom, or rush-order work. These multipliers account for costs this calculator doesn't capture: packaging, shipping supplies, marketplace fees (Etsy takes approximately 6.5%), payment processing (typically 2.9% + $0.30), photography time, and customer communication.