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How much does my project cost, and what affects the price?

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Your Die Cut Project is Unique to You

Your drawings, materials, processes, etc., are all unique to you. We cannot create a calculator to give you an exact price for your project.

 
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But, we can share what affects price
While it would be difficult to offer you an exact estimate, we can provide advice on how to design economically efficient parts without sacrificing your desired features.
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Hold on, I'm just buying rolls
There are thousands upon thousands of flexible materials, and the list grows every year. We, unfortunately, aren't able to list all of them
The Factors that Affect

Die Cutting Project Costs

Die cutting projects can cost as little as $500 to millions of dollars per year, depending on the material, design, labor, quantity, and more.

Each individual die cut part might range anywhere from fractions of a penny to over hundreds of dollars per part because the price per part is very volatile based on a few key factors. 

What Goes Into (28)
To help you understand why there is such a massive range between die cut costs, allow us to explain what factors affect the die cutting process and how working with an experienced converter can help lower your price per part.

Factors that Drive the Price Per Part Up ⬆️

  • Choosing expensive/challenging materials
  • Designs with many layers 
  • Design intricacies and tight tolerances
  • Low quantity orders (minimum order quantities and fixed costs drive the PPP up as quantity goes down)

Factors that Drive the Price Per Part Down ⬇️

  • Using functional tolerances
  • Optimizing your design (e.g., combining layers and more) 
  • Purchasing in roll form
  • Buying in bulk

How Does Project Scaling Affect My Price?

The Minimum Order Quantity of materials plays a significant role in determining your price per part. As the following chart demonstrates, larger orders help justify the minimum order cost of materials. 
 
Materials typically make up 70-80% of a converting order. As volume increases, the proportion of material costs may comprise up to 90-95% of the total order cost.
 
Quantity Setup Hours Setup Costs Run Hours Run Costs Material Costs Material Waste % Total Cost Price Per Part↓
1,000 10 $500 10 $500 $23,750 60% $24,750 $24.75
5,000 12 $600 48 $2,400 $23,750 10% $26,750 $5.35
10,000 14 $700 95 $4,750 $23,750 5% $29,200 $2.92
100,000 20 $1,000 950 $47,500 $158,333 1% $206,833 $2.07

Fixed labor costs remain relatively constant as the order quantity increases, resulting in a lower price per part.

This hypothetical part design being priced above is…

  • A simple shape (4 x 4” footprint)
  • Using one moderately priced material accounting for 200-300 ft of waste for press setup
    • Additional materials increase part complexity and waste
  • Assuming that the vendor's Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) is 10,000 parts-worth of material

As your volume increases, the material waste caused by setup accounts for a much smaller share of the total material. At lower quantities, the waste percentage is higher, resulting in a higher price per part.

You are exponentially more efficient when using the material in larger quantities. The high-volume order is the most efficient machine run due to a more balanced material-to-parts ratio; however, at some point, it will plateau at the lowest possible price per part.

What Does it Take to Get a Die Cutting Project Off the Ground?

Projects often begin with free samples, a handful of prototypes, or even rolls of material. This is sufficient to get through the early stages of a die cutting project. 

However, once you start getting into functional testing and validation, the demand requirements typically increase, prompting you to start investing in the project. Below are several upfront costs realized during a new die cutting project. 

Paid Samples

Depending on your stage in the product development process, you may need to test materials and designs. Paid samples (often 100-200 parts) are typically produced on our flat bed laser or using a digital knife. 

Although the price per part will be higher than full-scale production due to a smaller quantity, the overall cost will be lower since using a laser or digital knife costs less than a rotary die cutting machine. 

 


digital and laser die cutting

Pricing and lead times can vary depending on design, tolerance, material, etc. We will have to learn more about the product and application before we can advise pricing and lead time.

Hard Tooling

Die cut tools can cost anywhere from a few hundred to thousands of dollars, depending on the quantity and complexity of your design.

Lower quantity projects with simpler designs may require less expensive tools than the alternative. While Strouse typically covers part of the tooling cost, the initial cost is yours. 

die cut samples

Is Die Cutting Worth the Cost?

While the initial cost of a custom die cut project can be a significant investment, taking the first step is an excellent way to establish an existing manufacturing process for your design. If you’re still unsure whether die cutting is a possibility, get a custom quote from our team to help you decide. 

The Factors that Affect

Custom Slit Roll Costs

Much like die cutting, custom slitting costs are made up of materials and labor. However, the factors are a bit different. 

Request a Quote     Learn About Roll Slitting Costs

What Affects the cost of slitting
The Factors that Affect

Material Cost

Let's say that you have already planned your process; you may only need the right materials to get started. 

The cost of materials is affected by the following:

  • Availability factor
  • The type of material and adhesive you use
  • Formatting (number of rolls, size, etc.)
  • Minimum Order Quantities

Strouse offers material sampling and sourcing services, as well as boxed goods. However, we do not manufacture our own flexible materials in-house, so we recommend planning for a multi-week lead time to be on the safe side. 

manufacturing plant

Credit Options

If you are looking for terms options, below is what we offer. This is based on a credit reference we will request before acknowledging your first purchase order.

Full Payment Upfront

Paying upfront is a straightforward way to begin the process ASAP. Unlike the other options, you don’t need to wait for terms to be settled as long as you pay the full cost upfront. As soon as the payment has been processed, we will begin purchasing the materials and necessary tooling for your project.

50% Upfront, 50% at Shipment

If you’re approved for these payment terms, you’ll be expected to pay half of the total upfront. As soon as we receive this, we’ll begin purchasing materials and necessary tooling. No work will start until 50% is paid upfront. Once the product is completed, we will request the other 50% before shipment.

Full Payment at Shipment

Full payment at shipment simply means that you will be expected to pay in full as soon as the order is ready for shipment. Then, we will ship your order.

Net 30 Terms

If you’re approved for Net 30 payment terms, you can issue your payment within 30 days of the receipt of the goods. 
Improve Cost-Efficiency with

Stock Orders

The Stock Order Program is a method of placing multiple orders simultaneously and, oftentimes, planning product releases over a scheduled period.

Stock orders help you get bulk prices for materials, reduce the effects of material delays, make the most out of machine runs, and more. 

If you need consistent orders, have a sensitive timeline, or plan to scale up your project in the future, Strouse's Stock Order Program might be an excellent option.  

hydrogel die cutting
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Got any additional pricing questions? Please reach out to us today!

Request a Custom Quote

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the answers to the questions that people commonly ask.

What Affects My Die Cut Price?

The price of die cut parts is affected by several factors, including the complexity of the design, the type of flexible material used, order volume, tooling requirements, and any secondary operations such as lamination or liner removal. Larger project scales typically reduce per-unit costs.
What Affects the Cost of Die Cutting? Die cutting costs are influenced by material selection, part geometry and complexity, tolerance requirements, tooling type (steel rule vs. rotary), run length, and setup fees. Custom or tight-tolerance parts may require specialized tooling that adds to upfront costs.
How Does Project Scaling Affect My Price? Scaling a die cutting project to higher volumes spreads fixed costs like tooling and setup across more parts, significantly lowering the per-unit price. Smaller runs tend to have higher per-piece costs due to those same fixed expenses being divided among fewer units.
How Do You Get a Die Cutting Project Off the Ground? Starting a die cutting project typically requires a part design or drawing, material specifications, target quantity, and any relevant tolerance or performance requirements. Strouse works with customers early in the process to review designs for manufacturability and cost efficiency.
Is Die Cutting Worth The Cost? Die cutting is generally a cost-effective solution for producing precise, consistent parts at scale from flexible materials. When compared to manual cutting or alternative methods, die cutting offers superior repeatability and efficiency, making it worthwhile for most medium-to-high volume applications.
How Much Does Slitting Cost? Slitting costs depend on the material type, roll width, slit width tolerances, and volume. Like die cutting, higher volumes reduce per-unit costs. Contact Strouse for a custom quote based on your specific slitting requirements.
What Factors Affect the Cost of Flexible Materials? The cost of flexible materials is driven by material type (foam, film, adhesive, fabric, etc.), thickness, adhesive properties, supplier availability, and order quantity. Specialty or engineered materials typically carry higher costs than commodity substrates.
Does Strouse Offer Credit Payment Options? Yes, Strouse offers credit payment options for qualifying customers. Contact Strouse online or call to discuss payment terms and credit arrangements for your project.