Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Cost per item
$5.73
Ink cost per item
$0.525
Press time cost per item
$0.458
Max items per hour (press-limited)
48.0
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One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter ink used per item (mL).
- 2Enter ink cost per ml ($).
- 3Enter transfer paper cost per item ($).
- 4Enter blank substrate cost ($).
- 5Enter heat press time (seconds).
- 6Enter labor + press overhead rate ($/hr).
- 7Read your cost per item on the right — it updates as you type.
- 8Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Sublimation pricing needs to account for four distinct costs that a lot of hobbyist-turned-business sellers lump together: sublimation ink (sold by the milliliter but consumed by ink coverage), transfer paper, the blank substrate (mug, tumbler, shirt, tile), and heat press time. Ink usage varies enormously with image size and color density — a full-bleed 20oz tumbler wrap might use $0.15-$0.40 of ink where a small coaster uses $0.03-$0.08. This calculator lets you enter ink cost per milliliter and estimated milliliters used per item (check your RIP software's ink estimate or track it empirically over 20-30 prints), plus paper and blank cost and press time value, to get a real per-unit cost. Sublimation ink cartridges commonly run $25-$45 per 100ml for quality dye-sub ink, and sublimation paper runs $0.10-$0.30 per sheet depending on size and brand — both add up fast on high-volume shops and are easy to underestimate from a materials-only mental model.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Ink used per item: 1.5 mL
- Ink cost per mL: 0.35 $
- Transfer paper cost per item: 0.25 $
- Blank substrate cost: 4.5 $
- Heat press time: 75 seconds
- Labor + press overhead rate: 22 $/hr
Results
- Cost per item: $5.73
- Ink cost per item: $0.525
- Press time cost per item: $0.458
- Max items per hour (press-limited): 48
What each field means
Inputs
- Ink used per item (mL)
- The ink used per item used in the calculation, measured in mL. Starts at 1.5 mL so you have a working example on load.
- Ink cost per mL ($)
- The ink cost per ml used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 0.35 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Transfer paper cost per item ($)
- The transfer paper cost per item used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 0.25 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Blank substrate cost ($)
- The blank substrate cost used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 4.5 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Heat press time (seconds)
- The heat press time used in the calculation, measured in seconds. Starts at 75 seconds so you have a working example on load.
- Labor + press overhead rate ($/hr)
- The labor + press overhead rate used in the calculation, measured in $/hr. Starts at 22 $/hr so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Cost per item
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Ink cost per item
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Press time cost per item
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Max items per hour (press-limited)
- Returned as a decimal number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
How do I figure out real ink usage per item?
Weigh a full ink cartridge, print 20-30 identical items, then weigh what's left. Divide the mL consumed by the count for an empirical per-item number — it's far more accurate than the estimates in most RIP software, which often run optimistic.
Why does blank cost dominate the total?
Sublimation blanks (polyester shirts, coated tumblers, ceramic tiles) usually cost more than ink and paper combined — a 20oz tumbler blank alone often runs $3-$6 wholesale. Ink and paper together are typically under $1 per standard item.
Does printer type change the cost math?
A converted inkjet with refillable tanks and third-party ink can cut ink cost per mL by 60-70% versus OEM cartridges in a dedicated sublimation printer like a Sawgrass, but at some quality and reliability tradeoff worth weighing for production volume.
What's a reasonable press time for common items?
Mugs typically press 180-220 seconds at 400°F, tumblers wrap-press or oven-cure at similar times, and shirts run 45-60 seconds at higher pressure. Longer press times reduce hourly throughput, which matters for pricing rush orders.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Sublimation Print Cost Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/sublimation-print-cost
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/sublimation-print-cost" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sublimation Print Cost Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Sublimation Print Cost Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/sublimation-print-cost) (2026).