A customer sends a logo and asks for ten shirts. Before the first stitch, someone has to digitize the logo and set up the machine. If that time isn’t in the quote, the shop pays for it.
Two different costs
- Digitizing: turning artwork into a stitch file (DST, PES, JEF…). It happens once per design and size, whether you do it yourself or pay a digitizer.
- Setup: preparing each job: loading the file, threading the colors, hooping, and stitching and checking the first piece. It happens on every order, even repeat ones.
What some shops publish
| Shop | Fee | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Printful (US) | Digitization US$6.50 per new design in its polo example | Waived for 25 or more of the same product |
| Chef’s Closet (US) | Digitizing/setup US$49, one time | New customers ordering fewer than 24 pieces with the same logo; no fee if the logo was done before |
| Personalised Clothing (UK) | £9.99 + VAT per design and size | Not charged again for the same design and size; charged again if the size changes |
These are a few public examples, not a market average. They show three common policies: a one-time fee per design, a waiver above a quantity, and a new fee when the size changes.
Charge it separately or include it?
Both work. Printavo suggests setting setup and digitizing fees by complexity (easy, medium, hard) and building them into the price per piece. Charging them separately is more transparent and protects you on small orders; including them gives the customer one simple number.
Whatever you choose:
- Decide before quoting. Put it on your price list and your order form so it isn’t a surprise.
- Keep the file. A repeat order with the same design and size shouldn’t pay digitizing again, but it still takes setup time.
- Small orders carry the most risk. On three caps, an unbilled hour of digitizing can be more than the whole profit.
The pricing calculator has fields for digitizing and setup, so they land in the order total.