The Framers Forum

hello i am confused about the price of laminate photos example 8+12, 12+14, 12+16, 16+20, 20+24, 24+30, 24+36, 30+40, 40+60, can some one give me some advice thankyou

Hi Eddie
On the Hotpress site theres a printout that gives a breakdown of the finishing costs of finishing costs of heatseal / drymount , and also pressure activated laminates / adhesive boards.

Its dated 2006, so its over a year old now.

Link http://www.hotpress.co.uk/instructions.htm

It might be of some help.

I started to generate a spreadsheet for cost stuff done in the press. It's still in draft stage so need checking but you can download it at

http://www.welshframing.com/prices.xls

The first sheet contains buying prices and the markup and the second sheet shows selling prices. My printer is 420 mm wide, hence the per metre prices being 420 mm wide.

Hi Eddie - This may be a little late - but Lemon_Drop is right about the link to raw material costing sheets. By the way Lemon_Drop those 2006 prices were still current from 2006 on 10th Jan 2008 - there was an increase in Feb though & the website has been updated accordingly.

For Reference the cost sheets are worked out on a "worst case scenario" - full list prices / smallest (most uneconomic) rolls / the bits you will in reality "throw away" etc so they very accurate.

My advice for costing out work for profit is - three to five times the material cost for business to business deals (work for photographers / other framers / hotels / restaurants / repeat business etc) so if it costs £1 charge it out at £3 to £5. End user pricing should be anywhere between five to ten times your cost - dependant on your location / quality of work / quality of premises / general pricing & of course your skill as a salesman...

Good pricing software usually includes drymounting costs - but if you use an order pad it should have a tick box for Drymounting. Lots of framers tell me they put it under special instructions & "build it into the price of the job". Mind you those are the same people who think labour & profit are the same thing - you have to charge for both & a tick box makes it easier for people to say yes - as they think it is "normal" - which it is of course...

More good advice is to get a price list from a local professional photo lab & base your pricing around theirs - don't go in for under cutting - there really is no need. Craigavon Colour & RA Calverts are two very reputable labs that cover the Belfast area & you will see that they are far from "cheap" for their mounting services - there is profit to be made - Good Luck!!!

Hi Steve,

Thanks so much for the invaluable information in the above post. I've always been at a loss about what to charge for heatpress work. I had a look at the tables from the (very nice) people at Hotpress ( ), but could not relate it to what I should be retailing at. The information you have kindly provided above will be a great help for refinement of my pricing model.

You're a star!

Hey Áine - Thanks for the encouragement - I'm really enjoying all this & if a few bits of advice can help someone make a bit more profit - then more power to all of us!!!

Love the kitty pic "ever so wise"!!! I'm a kitty person myself... I may introduce you all to "Pearl" my "little baby girl" soon - she is becoming a bit of a "pin up" in the kitty framing world - a lilac point siamese - gorgeous - but she knows it...

Have a great weekend - Steve