Screen cost analysis

[Grumpy Ole Artist]

Anyone out there have a ballpark idea what it costs to put a 20x24 wood frame through the coat/reclaim/recoat cycle. (Using Ulano RLX, FYI) I know how to figure it up myself, but last time I counted screens per bucket of emulsion/gallon of ink degradent, etc., turned all the figures into the bosses, and never heard another thing about it. This is for my own self-torture. Am currently re-shooting a couple pairs of screens because a school teacher/senior advisor (who apparently doesn't lock her tee shirt storage closet) claims that the 3 people here who counted the goods, are incapable of doing so accurately.
Grrr! 4 screens x 1 shirt = reason I will never get a raise around here!

[blue moon]

I did it recently, and came up with about $9 per screen including labor. This was a rather loose calculation and I certain it was off, but it is better than nothing. I bet you Greg Kitson and Alan can give it to you down to a penny!

pierre

[mk162]

Well, I would be that accurate too if I took the moon phases into account.

[T Shirt Farmer]

I did it recently, and came up with about $9 per screen including labor. This was a rather loose calculation and I certain it was off, but it is better than nothing. I bet you Greg Kitson and Alan can give it to you down to a penny!

pierre

Pierre,

Did you add anything for the cost of original out lay for the frame and mesh?

[GKitson]

I did it recently, and came up with about $9 per screen including labor. This was a rather loose calculation and I certain it was off, but it is better than nothing. I bet you Greg Kitson and Alan can give it to you down to a penny!

pierre

My shop, My variables, My Crew, My Overhead, Consumables about $3 bucks and labor about $7 bucks per screen.  Actual cost from last time studies was $10.32 per screen to break even with no cost shifting from substrate Profitability.

In other words if your screen charge is not at least $10.33, you are subsidizing your customer.  It can be built in to an all inclusive price or a line item screen charge, your choice. 

~Kitson

[alan802]

It's been a while since I did this and I don't have my notebook in front of me but I think it was in the 8.50 range.  I remember being surprised and realizing that dropping our screen fee down to $10 was no longer a good idea.  I'd need to redo the numbers again since things have changed at our shop and maybe I can get to that next week, I'll find this thread when I do and submit our numbers.  Our numbers were inflated at the time due to thicker-than-needed stencils and we are now getting more screens from a gallon of emulsion.  I remember there being some gallons of the PHW Red that would be empty at 35 screens!

[blue moon]

I did it recently, and came up with about $9 per screen including labor. This was a rather loose calculation and I certain it was off, but it is better than nothing. I bet you Greg Kitson and Alan can give it to you down to a penny!

pierre

Pierre,

Did you add anything for the cost of original out lay for the frame and mesh?

I did not, but the replacement cost is in there. In other word, no capital equipment amortized, but maintenance is in there. It probably comes up to about $0.50 per screen charge, but is rapidly coming down as we do more and more orders with the same number of screens.

pierre

[Parker 1]

17.00 +/ screen.  At the time we where paying more than double for Tape, Film and Emulsion.  Labor was eating up a majority of the cost.  We have recently installed a dip-tank and retrained staff, and will do another cost analysis  within the next month or so. 

[Lizard]

We allow for $15 cost per screen and with that we gang most screens so $30 per screen. With that we allow 5 minutes for film output, 5 minutes for registration, exposure and washout, 15 minutes for blockout and press setup, 10 minutes for tear down, 5 minutes for reclaim, 5 minutes to coat.  So we easily have 45 minutes per screen (running two images)and another $5 in consumables.  This is about $20 and a single image screen would be around 35 minutes round trip so closer to $15 range.

All these costs have to be covered somewhere and I think our times are pretty efficient.