Why the price per piece drops when you print more

Setup, plates and the minimum print run explained simply: why 2,000 pamphlets cost much less each than 500, and how to choose the right quantity.

Customers often ask why 500 pamphlets cost almost as much as 1,000. The answer is the fixed cost of setting up every print job.

Fixed cost and running cost

• Fixed cost: preparing the file, making the printing plates and setting up the job. It is the same whether you print a few hundred or a few thousand.
• Running cost: paper, ink, cutting and packing. This grows with every extra piece.

When you print more, the fixed cost is shared by more pieces, so each piece costs less. After a point the price per piece stops falling much, because only the running cost is left.

How to choose the right quantity

• Count how many you will really use in the next few months, not just this week.
• Compare the price per piece at two quantities on the product page: the bigger one is often only a little more in total.
• Do not over-order items whose details may change soon, such as phone numbers or prices.

Our product pages show the price per piece at every quantity before you order, so you can compare instantly.