How to price laser engraving
If you run a laser, the fastest way to lose money is pricing by gut. The fix is the same model the big shops use: an hourly machine rate, a setup fee, plus material and a minimum order. Here's how to set each one.
Time an engraving job now →1. Set your hourly machine rate
This is what one hour of the laser running is worth. Add up, per year: machine depreciation, power, extraction filters, lenses and consumables, maintenance, plus the slice of rent and your labour you want covered. Divide by the realistic running hours per year. Hobby/side setups often land at €30–€60/h; established shops €60–€120/h.
2. Add a setup fee
Every job costs you before the laser even starts: opening the file, cleaning it up, jigging the material, running a test. Charge a flat €10–€30 setup per new job. This is what protects you on one-off and tiny orders.
3. Price the job
(engraving time × hourly rate) + setup + material = price.
Worked example. Engraving a wooden coaster takes 4 minutes. At €60/h that's €4.00 of machine time. Add €15 setup and €1.20 for the blank → €20.20 for one. For 20 coasters the setup spreads out: (20 × €5.20) + €15 = €119, about €5.95 each. That's why quantity gets cheaper per piece.
4. Hold a minimum order
Never quote below your minimum (commonly €15–€30). A five-minute job that sells for €3 is a loss once you count the conversation, the file and the cleanup.
Engraving-specific gotchas
- Fill area, not outline. Engraving time scales with the filled area and the line interval (DPI/LPI), not the shape's perimeter. A solid logo takes far longer than its outline.
- Photo/greyscale engraving is slow. High-resolution photo work can be 5–10× a simple text engrave — price it accordingly.
- Design/vectorising time is billable. If you redraw a customer's blurry logo, that's a line item, not a favour.
Take the guesswork out of the "time" part
The one variable people misjudge is how long the machine actually runs. Drop the file into our calculator, switch to engrave mode, pick your machine, and it estimates the time — then you apply your own rate and setup on top.
Open the calculator →FAQ
What hourly rate should I charge for laser engraving?
Work out your true cost per running hour — machine, power, consumables, maintenance, rent and labour — then add margin. Side/hobby setups typically charge €30–€60 per hour; established shops €60–€120. Never price below what an hour of the machine actually costs you.
Should I charge a setup fee?
Yes. A flat €10–€30 setup fee per job covers file prep, jigging and test runs. It's what keeps small and one-off orders profitable, and it's standard practice.
How do I price bulk engraving orders?
Charge the setup fee once and multiply the per-piece machine time by quantity. The setup spreads across all pieces, so the per-item price drops with volume — which is exactly the discount customers expect at quantity.
Why does engraving take longer than cutting?
Cutting follows a single outline path; engraving fills an area line by line at a set resolution. A solid filled logo can take many times longer than just cutting its outline, so it must be priced on filled area, not perimeter.