Laser Pricing 101: What to Charge for Engraving Tumblers

Why Smart Pricing Matters


Undersell and you stay busy yet broke. Price with method and every cup nudges you toward new gear, bigger orders, and a solid reputation.



Crunching the Core Costs

Cost Line What to Include Quick Checks
Material & Tumbler Type Blank + inbound shipping Keep one "shop tumbler" for test burns
Design Complexity One-side text, two-side logos, 360° wrap, micro-detail Charge more as laser minutes rise.
Machine Time & Overhead Power draw, lens wear, consumables, shop utilities.
Labor & Setup Artwork prep, jig load/unload, post-wipe Protect yourself with a minimum labor charge.
Laser Depreciation Purchase Price ÷ (Years × Annual Engraving Hours) See table below.
Buffer Mis-engraves, artwork tweaks Add 5-10 % of the subtotal.

Amortizing Your Laser Investment

Rabbit Model MSRP Service Life (yrs) Engraving hrs/yr Depreciation $/hr
DL-40-6040 $6,295 5 1,500 $.084

A 4-minute engrave = 0.067 hr → ≈ $0.06 depreciation per tumbler. Add this into Machine Time before markup.


Your Simple Pricing Formula


Total Price = (Material + Machine Time + Labor + Overhead) × Markup


Sample Math


$4 blank + $1.20 machine (inc. power & depreciation) + $2 labor + $0.50 overhead = $7.70. 


$7.70 × 2.5 = $19.25 sell price


Flat Fee vs. Per-Minute (and Hybrid)

Model Pros Cons
Flat Fee Fast quotes, easy marketing Risky if artwork varies
Per-Minute Precision aligns price to time Customers may balk at clock-watching
Hybrid Base fee + time over X minutes Needs clear explanation

Always set a minimum charge to cover startup costs.


Volume Discounts That Still Pay

Qty Recommended Discount Why
10-49 -15% setup fee Jig stays loaded
50-99 -20% labor line Less handling per cup
100+ -25% machine time Overnight, lights-out runs

Upsells & Add-Ons


Personalized names, gift boxes, and matching laser-cut coasters—small extras that add big margin.


Profit Safeguards


  1. Review costs yearly.
  2. Track true $ per laser-hour.
  3. Keep a five-cup “oops” stash for mis-engraves.


Quick Reference Price Table*

Order Size Simple Text Logo Wrap Add Name
1-9 $19 $23 +$5
10-49 $16 $20 +$4
50+ $13 $17 +$3

*Adjust to your actual costs and desired markup.


Download Your Free Pricing Worksheet


Grab the editable spreadsheet and plug in your own numbers for instant margin checks. Download the worksheet


Ready to Turn Tumblers into Profit?


Whether you’re scaling up or just starting, a Rabbit Laser USA DL-40-6040 paired with one of our rotary attachments delivers calibrated accuracy, industrial-grade reliability, and U.S.-based support. Talk with our team today   to launch—or level up—your tumbler-engraving business. 🐰

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