The print cost is a key consideration for print shop owners as they tally up their operational expenses against their revenue to shape business strategies and make adjustments. UV printing is widely appreciated for its cost-effectiveness, with some reports suggesting costs as low as $0.2 per square meter. But what's the real story behind these numbers? Let's break it down.

What Makes Up Print Cost?

• Ink
  • For Printing: Take ink priced at $69 per liter, capable of covering between 70-100 square meters. This sets the ink expense at about $0.69 to $0.98 for each square meter.
  • For Maintenance: With two print heads, standard cleaning uses roughly 4ml per head. Averaging two cleanings per square meter, the ink cost for upkeep is around $0.4 per square. This brings the total ink cost per square meter to somewhere between $1.19 and $1.38.

• Electricity
  • Use: Consider a UV printer of average 6090 size consuming 800 watts per hour. With the U.S. average electricity rate at 16.21 cents per kilowatt-hour, let's work out the cost assuming the machine runs at full power for 8 hours (bearing in mind that an idle printer uses way less).
  • Calculations:
    • Energy Use for 8 Hours: 0.8 kW × 8 hours = 6.4 kWh
    • Cost for 8 Hours: 6.4 kWh × $0.1621/kWh = $1.03744
    • Total Square Meters Printed in 8 Hours: 2 square meters/hour × 8 hours = 16 square meters
    • Cost Per Square Meter: $1.03744 / 16 square meters = $0.06484

So, the estimated print cost per square meter turns out to be between $1.25 and $1.44.

It's important to note that these estimates won't apply to every machine. Larger printers often have lower costs per square meter due to faster print speeds and bigger print sizes, which leverage scale to reduce costs. Plus, print cost is only one part of the whole operational cost picture, with other expenses like labor and rent often being more substantial.

Having a strong business model that keeps orders coming in regularly is much more significant than simply keeping print costs low. And seeing the figure of $1.25 to $1.44 per square meter helps explain why most UV printer operators don't lose sleep over print costs.

We hope this piece has given you a better understanding of UV printing costs. If you're in search of a dependable UV printer, feel free to browse our selection and talk to our specialists for an accurate quote.