Planners are great organizational tools that allow you to schedule your days, weeks, and months ahead of time. Whether you use them for personal or business reasons, having a planner can make you feel more in control and prepared.
But like most products, planners come at a cost. And if you’re looking into designing and printing your own planners, you need to understand the expenses involved so you can set realistic pricing.
So how much does it actually cost to print a planner? Let’s take a closer look with us – a professional planner manufacturer.
How Much Does It Cost to Print a Planner?
The cost of printing a planner can range from a few dollars for a DIY printable planner to several thousand dollars for a large commercial print run. The choice between DIY and commercial printing will depend on your budget, the quantity needed, and the level of customization desired.
DIY Printing Costs
- Printable Planners:
- Printable planners can be purchased for as low as $6 to $12 for a digital file that you can print at home.
- Additional costs include paper, ink, and binding materials. For example, if you need to go to a service like Staples or FedEx for printing, you will also need to consider the cost of hole punching, binders, rings, and any decorative elements like stickers.
- Materials:
- Paper: The cost of paper can vary, but high-quality paper suitable for planners can cost around $0.10 to $0.20 per sheet.
- Ink/Toner: The cost of ink or toner can add up, especially if printing in color. A typical ink cartridge can cost between $20 to $50, and a toner cartridge can be more expensive.
- Binding: Binding options like wire binding or using a small binder can add to the cost. Wire binding can cost around $2 to $5 per planner, while a small binder might cost around $5 to $10.
Commercial Printing Costs
- Small Quantities:
- Printing a small number of planners (e.g., 1 to 10) can be more expensive per unit. For example, custom printing services like Doxzoo offer options for printing from 1 to 1,000+ copies, with prices varying based on the planner’s size, style, and finish.
- Depending on the specifications and binding options chosen, a single custom planner can cost between $10 and $30.
- Larger Quantities:
- For larger print runs, the cost per unit decreases. For example, printing 500 planners can cost around $15 each, while printing 1,000 planners can reduce the cost to around $12 each, and 1,500 planners can bring the cost down to around $10 each.
- Total production costs for larger quantities can range from $7,500 to $15,000, depending on the number of planners and the complexity of the design.
Calculating Planner Printing Costs
When calculating how much it will cost to print your planners, there are a few key factors to consider:
Number of Planners
The number of planners you plan to print is one of the biggest drivers of cost. Printing 500 planners is going to be significantly cheaper on a per unit basis than printing just 25 planners.
That’s because with commercial printing, there is a certain amount of setup time and cost involved regardless of order size. The more planners you print, the more that initial setup cost gets spread across your entire order.
As an example, let’s say setup costs $100 and paper/printing costs come out to $2 per planner. If you print 25 planners, your cost per unit is $4 ($100 setup divided by 25 planners plus $2 materials per planner). But if you print 500 planners, your cost goes down to about $2.20 per planner ($100 setup plus $2 materials multiplied by 500).
So if you’re able to order larger quantities, you’ll generally get better rates.
Paper Type and Weight
The paper you choose for your planner pages and cover impacts cost as well. Standard 20lb bond paper is the most affordable option. Going with a thicker 24lb or 28lb paper will increase cost but also makes for a more durable planner. Specialty colored paper or cardstock for the cover adds expense too.
Binding
How your planner pages are bound together affects pricing too. Basic saddle stitch binding tends to be the most budget-friendly option, while fancier bindings like lay-flat perfect binding or spiral/comb binding cost more.
Size
The dimensions of your planner play a role in the pricing. Larger planners require bigger paper and more materials, driving up the production costs. Smaller planners keep expenses lower.
Coatings and Finishes
Adding finishes like glossy laminate or spot UV to the planner covers increases the pricing but gives your planners more visual appeal. Embossing and foil stamping the covers boosts costs further but can really make your planners stand out.
Turnaround Time
How quickly you need your planner order turned around impacts pricing too. Standard turnaround times of 2-3 weeks are most affordable. But if you need rushed production of just a few days, expect to pay a premium.
Real-World Planner Printing Cost Examples
To give you a better idea, here are some real-world examples of planner production pricing:
- 250 planners – 5.5″ x 8.5″, 100 pages, saddle stitched, standard 20lb bond paper, 2 week turnaround time – $5.50 per planner
- 500 planners – 6″ x 9″, 150 pages, perfect bound, 28lb premium paper, gloss laminate cover, 4 week turnaround time – $8 per planner
- 1,000 planners – 8.5″ x 11″, 200 pages, wire-o bound, 24lb paper, spot UV cover, 3 week turnaround time – $6 per planner
So as you can see, planner production pricing can range quite a bit based on order specifics. But with 500+ quantity orders, you can generally get costs down to $5-10 per planner.
Just make sure to get quotes from a few different printers before moving forward, so you understand exactly what things will cost for your specific order and can set realistic retail pricing.