Pricing Matrix OS & Decoration Calculation Guide

The Pricing Matrix OS is the core calculation engine of Print Life Software. It automates how your shop prices custom apparel and promotional goods, turning raw labor times, machine operating costs, wholesale blanks, and consumables into guaranteed profitable quotes in seconds.

Print Life supports six distinct decoration matrix types—Screen Printing, Embroidery, Direct-to-Film (DTF), Supacolor On-Demand, Flat Stock & Signs, and Single Item (All-Inclusive)—plus a dedicated Product Markup Matrix that safeguards garment profit margins.

---

1. Where to Find & Manage Price Matrices

• Sidebar Location: Expand the Pricing & Materials group in the left sidebar $\rightarrow$ click Matrices (/matrices).
• Creating a Matrix: Click the + Create Matrix button in the top-right header action bar (opens /matrices/new).
• Editing an Existing Matrix: Click any matrix row or click Edit from the action menu on /matrices (opens /matrices/[id]).
• Important Note: Price matrices are managed exclusively under Pricing & Materials. They are never located in Settings.

---

2. Profit Calculation Models: Gross Margin vs. Cost-Plus Markup

Print Life gives your shop complete flexibility in how profit is added to your decoration costs. In the Pricing & Margin section of every matrix, you can choose between two mathematical models:

1. True Gross Profit Margin (Default & Recommended)

$$\text{Selling Price} = \frac{\text{Base Unit Cost}}{1 - (\text{Margin %} / 100)}$$

• Why Gross Margin Is Recommended: Margin guarantees that the exact percentage you enter is what you keep as net profit from every dollar collected.
  • Example: If your base decoration cost is $2.00 and you set a 50% Margin: $$\text{Selling Price} = \frac{$2.00}{1 - 0.50} = \mathbf{$4.00}$$ Your shop collects $4.00, spends $2.00 on cost, and keeps $2.00 in profit—which is exactly 50% of the customer's total payment.

2. Cost-Plus Markup

$$\text{Selling Price} = \text{Base Unit Cost} \times \left(1 + \frac{\text{Markup %}}{100}\right)$$

• How It Works: Markup adds a flat percentage on top of your base cost.
  • Example: If your base cost is $2.00 and you set a 50% Markup: $$\text{Selling Price} = $2.00 \times (1 + 0.50) = \mathbf{$3.00}$$ Your profit is $1.00 on a $3.00 sale, which is a 33.3% actual profit margin.
  • While Print Life recommends True Gross Margin to protect shop overhead, shops that prefer classic cost-plus pricing can switch to Markup with one click.

Custom Quantity Margin Tiers

In addition to a flat profit percentage across the entire matrix, you can configure Profit Margin Tiers. This allows you to automatically taper your margin as order volume increases (for example: 60% margin on 12–23 pieces, 50% margin on 24–71 pieces, and 42% margin on 72+ pieces). If no tiers are added, the matrix applies your base profit percentage across all quantities.

---

3. Matrix Builder Interface & Layout

When creating or editing any matrix (/matrices/new or /matrices/[id]), the editor is organized into two synchronized panels:

Left Panel: Configuration & Labor Costs

Grouped into clean, collapsible sections. Clicking any section title expands or collapses it. Collapsed sections display a one-line live summary of your entered values:

• Decoration Method: Select your production method (Screen Printing, Embroidery, DTF, etc.).
• Basics & Pricing Model: Matrix name, default status, and operational mode (Cost-Based vs. Flat Rate).
• Production Time & Rates: Press speeds, setup minutes, and crew sizes.
• Costs & Consumables: Consumable materials (inks, thread, TPU powder, film) and overhead fees.
• Pricing & Margin: Desired profit margin percentage or markup rules.
• Optional Settings:
  • Decoration Department & Capacity: Assign the matrix to a specific production machine or team (e.g., Automatic Press 1 or 6-Head Tajima) and define its daily operating hours for auto-scheduling.
  • Auto Press Transition (Screen Printing): Volume cutoffs and automatic press speeds.
  • Screen Fee Spread: Option to amortize screen fees across the per-piece print price or bill them as separate line items.

Right Panel: Grid Structure & Live Preview

Stays pinned in view on desktop as you scroll the left panel:

• Removable Chip Lists: Quantity breaks (e.g., 12, 24, 48, 72, 144) and tier ranges (stitch caps, print sizes, cost brackets) are edited as chips. Type a number and press Enter, comma, or space to add a break; click × to remove one; click Reset to defaults to restore starting values.
• Live Calculation Grid: Immediately shows the resulting unit prices for every quantity break and tier combination in real time as you adjust your labor or margin settings.
• Interactive Quick Dimension Tester: Enter sample order numbers (e.g. 10" × 10" graphic, 48 pieces) right inside the matrix builder to preview the exact dollar breakdown and verified tier match before saving.
• Interactive "How Each Matrix Works" Guide: Click the [ How Each Matrix Works ] button in the header of the Matrix Builder to open an interactive 6-tab modal detailing the operational formulas and setup recommendations for each decoration discipline.
• Validation on Save: If you click Save Price Matrix with an invalid or missing required field, the builder automatically expands the relevant section and highlights the field in red.

---

4. Detailed Guide by Decoration Method

---

A. Screen Printing Matrix

Designed for manual and automatic textile screen printing operations. It dynamically amortizes darkroom setup time and screen fees across order volume while calculating press run labor from your True Shop Hourly Rate.

1. Setup Parameters in Matrix Builder

• Setup Time per Color (mins): Time spent outputting film negatives, burning screens, taping, and registering manual press heads (e.g. 15 mins/color).
• Setup Fee per Color ($): Fixed dollar fee charged per screen (e.g. $20.00/color).
• Run Time per Piece per Color (secs): Printing cycle time per color per shirt on a manual press (e.g. 12 secs).
• Press Crew Size (1–4): Number of operators running the manual press. Run labor is multiplied by crew size (Hourly Rate × Crew Size), ensuring labor cost is accurately reflected when both a printer and a catcher/stacker are on the press.
• Flash Fee per Piece ($): Additional labor and electric dryer curing cost added per piece when printing dark garments that require a white underbase flash.
• Automatic Press Transition (useAutoPress):
  • Auto Press Cutoff (pcs): The order quantity threshold (e.g. 72 pieces) that automatically transitions the job from manual press rates to automatic press rates.
  • Auto Setup Time (mins): Reduced setup time on an automatic press.
  • Auto Run Time (secs): High-speed automatic press production cycle time (e.g. 3 secs/impression).
  • Auto Press Crew Size (1–4): Crew size assigned to the automatic press (typically 2: a loader and an unloader/catcher).
• Quantity Breaks: Volume tiers (e.g., 12, 24, 48, 72, 144, 288, 500, 1000).
• Color Columns: 1 to 14 print colors.

2. How the Quote Builder Calculates Screen Printing

1. Press Transition Check: The engine checks total order quantity. If useAutoPress is enabled and order quantity $\ge$ Auto Press Cutoff, it swaps manual times for automatic press times.
2. Setup Cost per Piece: $$\text{Total Setup Cost} = \left(\frac{\text{Setup Mins} \times \text{Colors}}{60} \times \text{Shop Hourly Rate}\right) + (\text{Setup Fee per Color} \times \text{Colors})$$ $$\text{Setup Cost per Piece} = \frac{\text{Total Setup Cost}}{\text{Total Order Quantity}}$$
3. Run Labor Cost per Piece: $$\text{Run Labor Cost per Piece} = \frac{\text{Run Secs per Color} \times \text{Colors}}{3600} \times (\text{Shop Hourly Rate} \times \text{Crew Size})$$
4. Base Unit Cost: $$\text{Base Cost} = \text{Setup Cost per Piece} + \text{Run Labor Cost per Piece} + \text{Flash Fee (if dark garment)}$$
5. Final Selling Price: $$\text{Final Price} = \max\left(\frac{\text{Base Cost}}{1 - (\text{Profit Margin %} / 100)}, \text{Minimum Price}\right)$$

---

B. Embroidery Matrix

Supports both single-head and multi-head production setups, providing two distinct calculation models:

Strategy 1: Stitch Count Tiers (In-House Production Model)

Used for in-house embroidery machines where machine running time and hooping labor are the primary cost drivers:

• Digitizing Setup Fee ($): Fee for converting vector artwork into a DST stitch file (e.g. $35.00–$50.00). Can be charged or waived per quote.
• Number of Machine Heads: Heads on your embroidery equipment (e.g. 1-head, 4-head, 6-head, or 8-head machine).
• Run Time per 1,000 Stitches (mins): Stitching duration per thousand stitches based on machine RPM (e.g. 1.2 mins / 1k stitches at 850 RPM).
• Hooping & Trimming Time (mins/pc): Manual labor spent hooping garments, steaming, trimming backing, and unhooping (calculated at your Shop Hourly Rate).
• Thread & Backing Cost ($/pc): Consumable cost for Madeira/Isacord thread, cutaway/tearaway backing, and bobbin thread.
• Stitch Tiers: Upper bound stitch caps (e.g. 5,000, 8,000, 10,000, 15,000, 20,000 stitches).
• Head Run Cycles Formula: $$\text{Machine Cycles} = \left\lceil \frac{\text{Order Quantity}}{\text{Machine Heads}} \right\rceil$$ $$\text{Machine Cost per Piece} = \frac{\left(\frac{\text{Stitches}}{1000} \times \text{Run Mins per 1k}\right) \times \text{Cycles}}{60 \times \text{Order Quantity}} \times \text{Shop Hourly Rate}$$

Strategy 2: Per 1,000 Stitches Rate (Outsourced / Rate-Based Model)

Used when outsourcing embroidery to a contract embroidery facility or charging a flat contract rate per thousand stitches:

• Contractor Base Cost per 1k Stitches: Base rate charged by your contractor (e.g. $0.50 / 1k stitches).
• Markup Style:
  • Fixed Dollar Markup: Contractor Cost $0.50 + Fixed Markup $0.75 = Selling Rate $1.25 / 1k stitches.
  • Percentage Gross Margin: Contractor Cost $0.50 at 50% Margin = Selling Rate $1.00 / 1k stitches.
• Formula Example: An 8,000 stitch design at $1.25 / 1k stitches quotes at: $$\frac{8000}{1000} \times $1.25 = \mathbf{$10.00\text{ per piece}} + \frac{\text{Digitizing Fee}}{\text{Quantity}}$$

---

C. Direct-to-Film (DTF) Matrix

Provides three distinct production and fulfillment workflows:

Strategy 1: Cost-Based (In-House Roll Printing by Size Tiers)

Calculates exact in-house manufacturing costs from raw materials and labor:

• Consumables Linked from Inventory: Select your Film Roll, TPU Adhesive Powder, and CMYK/White Inks from your Materials library.
• Ink Coverage %: Estimated ink laydown (e.g. White 100%, CMYK 60%).
• Labor Inputs: Film trimming/slitting time (mins/pc) and Heat Press application time (mins/pc) evaluated at your Shop Hourly Rate.
• Print Size Tiers: Surface area brackets in square inches (e.g., Up to 16 sq in, 36 sq in, 100 sq in, 144 sq in).

Strategy 2: Flat Rate / Per Area (Outsourced Transfers or Simple Rate Cards)

Offers two Selling Unit Modes:

1. Per Area Mode (per_area):
   • Area Unit of Measure: Choose Square Inches (sq_in), Square Feet (sq_ft), Square Centimeters (sq_cm), or Square Meters (sq_m).
   • Multiplies the graphic's physical surface area ($W \times H$) by your selling rate per unit (e.g., $0.03 / sq in or $2.88 / sq ft).
2. Per Item Mode (per_item):
   • Charges a flat transfer price per piece (e.g., $3.50 flat for any chest transfer), bypassing dimension multiplication.

• Pressing Labor vs. Heat Application Fee (Critical Rule):
  • If printing transfers in-house, enter Pressing Time (Mins) to calculate labor from your True Hourly Rate.
  • If purchasing pre-printed transfers and outsourcing pressing, enter Heat Application Fee ($/pc).
  • Do not enter both: If in-house pressing time is entered, keep Heat Application Fee at $0.00 to prevent double-charging pressing labor.

Strategy 3: Supacolor On-Demand Fulfillment

Fulfilled directly through your connected Supacolor account using live OAuth2 API pricing:

• Single Matrix Architecture: One Supacolor matrix configures your shop's profit margin %, heat press application fee ($/pc), and artwork setup fee across all transfer lines.
• Standardized Quantity Breaks: Exactly matches Supacolor's 10 wholesale tiers: 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 300, 500, 1000, 2500, 5000 pieces.
• Pre-Cut Sheet Formats: Automatically matches your graphic dimensions to the smallest accommodating sheet size: 1.5″ × 1.5″, 2.5″ × 2.5″, Cap (4.7″ × 2.8″), 4″ × 4″, A5 (5.8″ × 8.3″), A4 (8.3″ × 11.7″), A3 (11.7″ × 16.5″), and Supagang continuous rolls.
• Core vs. Specialty Processes: Supports standard apparel (Supacolor Wearable, Blocker, SupaDTF) and specialized applications (Headwear, Low Melt, Softshell, Sub Block, Reflective, Neon, Metallic, Glow in the Dark, Industrial Wash).
• Automatic Live Cost Resolution: Pulls the exact wholesale cost tier from Supacolor, applies your gross margin %, adds your shop's heat press fee, and amortizes any setup fee across the order.

---

D. Single Item / All-Inclusive Matrix

Designed for package deals, promo bundles, school spirit wear, and all-inclusive retail packages where the garment, decoration, and setup are bundled into one final price per shirt (e.g., "12 T-Shirts for $15.00 each, 48 for $10.50 each").

1. Setup Parameters

• Product Rows: Named apparel categories (e.g., "Basic 100% Cotton Tee", "Standard Fleece Hoodie", "Embroidered Trucker Cap").
• Production Minutes per Piece: Estimated production time per piece, used by the Auto-Scheduler to book hours on your production calendar.
• Direct Price Grid: Operators type the finished, all-inclusive selling price per piece directly into each quantity break cell.
• Allow Price Override Toggle: Enables or disables manual sales rep price adjustments in the size breakdown modal on quotes.

2. Quote Engine Rules

• Below-Minimum Fallback: If a customer orders fewer pieces than your smallest quantity break (e.g. 6 shirts on a 12-unit minimum matrix), the quote engine automatically applies the price from the first column (the most expensive tier) to protect your margins.
• All-Inclusive Mode: When a quote item uses a Single Item matrix, garment wholesale cost is bypassed—the matrix price IS the complete retail price charged to the customer.

---

E. Flat Stock & Signs Matrix

Built for wide-format printing, vinyl banners, coroplast yard signs, posters, and flat substrate graphics:

• Cost-Based Mode: Calculates cost from Media Material (roll or sheet media cost per sq in/ft), RIP file preparation time, weeding labor minutes, and mounting/laminating application fees.
• Flat Rate Mode: Offers Per Area (sq in, sq ft, sq cm, sq m) and Per Item (flat $/pc) selling unit modes.
• Quick Dimension Tester: Type width and height in the builder to verify surface area conversions ($144\text{ sq in} = 1\text{ sq ft}$) and inspect live margin calculations.

---

F. Laser Engraving Matrix

Engineered specifically for laser engravers and CNC cutters (tumblers, leather patches, wood plaques, acrylic awards):

• File & Jig Setup (Total Mins): One-time setup duration for file alignment, jig placement, and laser focal calibration (charged once per job and amortized across quantity).
• Burn Time per Piece (Mins): Active laser raster/vector engraving duration per item.
• Cleaning & Finishing per Piece (Mins): Post-engraving masking removal, alcohol wiping, and deburring labor.
• Production Time Tracking: Total job production time is calculated as: $$\text{Production Time} = \text{File & Jig Setup Mins} + \left[(\text{Burn Time} + \text{Cleaning Time}) \times \text{Quantity}\right]$$ This exact duration is booked on your Production Calendar and dashboard capacity meter, ensuring your schedule matches what you quoted.

---

G. Product Markup Matrix (The Wholesale Profit Guard)

Product Markup matrices automate how wholesale garment blanks (from SanMar, S&S Activewear, AlphaBroder, Otto Cap, etc.) are marked up before decoration labor is added.

1. Markup Methods

• Percentage Markup: Adds a percentage on top of wholesale cost: $$\text{Retail Blank Price} = \text{Wholesale Cost} \times \left(1 + \frac{\text{Markup %}}{100}\right)$$
• Gross Profit Margin: Calculates retail price so the specified percentage of the blank sale is profit: $$\text{Retail Blank Price} = \frac{\text{Wholesale Cost}}{1 - (\text{Margin %} / 100)}$$
• Fixed Dollar Amount: Adds a flat dollar amount on top of wholesale cost: $$\text{Retail Blank Price} = \text{Wholesale Cost} + \text{Fixed Dollar Markup}$$

2. The 2-Level "Global Safety Net" Fallback

To ensure no apparel item is ever accidentally sold at cost, Print Life uses a two-tier safety net:

1. Level 1 (Product Specific Override): If an apparel item has a custom matrix assigned in its Product Rules, that matrix is used.
2. Level 2 (Global Default Markup): If no specific matrix is assigned, the quote engine automatically applies the shop's Default Markup Matrix configured in Matrices settings.

3. Real-Time Wholesale Pricing Sources

• Connected PSRestful Suppliers (SanMar, S&S, AlphaBroder): Uses your live Negotiated Account Pricing.
• Unconnected Suppliers: Uses standard wholesale catalog list price.
• Custom Products: Uses the base wholesale cost entered when creating the item in your library.

---

5. Decoration Departments, Production Capacity & Crew Sizes

Every decoration matrix includes optional production settings that connect your pricing directly to your shop floor capacity:

• Decoration Department: Names the specific machine or production work center (e.g. Automatic Press 1, Manual Press 6-Color, Tajima 8-Head, Brother GTX DTG). If left blank, the system groups it under the standard decoration method name.
• Production Capacity (Hours per Day): Defines how many operating hours per day this specific work center can handle. If left blank, it inherits your shop's overall Daily Operating Hours from Financials settings.
• Screen Printing Press Crew Size (1–4):
  • Manual Press Crew Size: Located in the open Production Time section. Multiplies run labor rate by crew count (Hourly Rate × Crew Size).
  • Auto Press Crew Size: Located in the Automatic Press section. Evaluated when order volume exceeds your auto press cutoff.
  • Important Rule: Crew size increases labor cost in quote pricing, but does not alter job completion time on the production calendar (since adding a catcher does not speed up the press index rate).

---

6. Frequently Asked Questions & Troubleshooting

Why is my matrix showing $0.00 or extremely low calculated prices?

1. Check Your True Shop Hourly Rate: Go to Finance & Settings $\rightarrow$ Financials (/financials). If your operating hours or monthly overhead expenses have not been entered, your hourly rate resolves to $0.00, causing labor calculations to equal $0.
2. Verify Setup and Run Times: Confirm that setup times (minutes) and run times (seconds/minutes) are greater than 0.
3. Auto Press Check: If Use Auto Press is enabled in Screen Printing, ensure Auto Setup Time and Auto Run Time values are populated.

How does the system handle quantities between quantity breaks?

Print Life uses Tiered Lower-Bound Logic across all quantity breaks:

• An order of 12–23 pieces receives the 12-piece price.
• An order of 24–47 pieces receives the 24-piece price.
• An order of 48+ pieces receives the 48-piece price.

What happens if a customer orders fewer pieces than my lowest matrix quantity break?

For orders below your minimum quantity break (e.g., 6 shirts on a matrix that starts at 12 pieces), the quote engine automatically applies the unit price from your first quantity break column (the highest, most expensive tier) to protect your setup time and profit margin.

Can I use Markup instead of Gross Margin on my decoration matrices?

Yes! In the Pricing & Margin collapsible section of every decoration matrix, you can toggle between Gross Margin (%) (Default & Recommended) and Cost-Plus Markup (%):

• Gross Margin calculates selling price as $\text{Cost} / (1 - \text{Margin %})$, ensuring that your chosen percentage of the total invoice is actual profit.
• Markup calculates selling price as $\text{Cost} \times (1 + \text{Markup %})$, adding a flat percentage on top of your production cost.
• You can also configure Profit Margin Tiers to automatically taper your margin or markup percentage as order volume increases.

Why does Print Life recommend Gross Margin over Markup?

A 50% markup on a $2.00 cost results in a $3.00 price ($1.00 profit, which is only a 33.3% profit margin). In contrast, a 50% gross margin results in a $4.00 price ($2.00 profit = 50% of the sale). Gross margin guarantees that your overhead expenses, press depreciation, and commissions are fully protected.

How do sales reps override matrix prices or adjust markup on a quote?

You never need to alter your master price matrices to give a customer custom pricing on an individual job. In the Quote Builder (/quotes-invoices/[id]), dedicated action buttons sit directly on the bottom action bar of each card:

• Dedicated $ Price Override Button: Located directly on the action bar beneath each Decoration Card. Click it to set a custom per-piece decoration price or lock in manual rates.
• Dedicated Edit Breakdown Button: Located directly on the action bar beneath each Product Row. Click it to open the size grid dialog, switch between Product Only and All-Inclusive modes, adjust markup matrices, or enter custom per-size pricing.
• Project Total Bundle Override: Click directly on the bold Project Total price number at the bottom-right of any project card to set a flat package price.

What is the difference between Per Area and Per Item selling unit modes in DTF and Flat Stock?

• Per Area Mode (per_area): Multiplies your rate by the physical surface area ($W \times H$) in your chosen unit (Square Inches, Square Feet, Square Centimeters, or Square Meters).
• Per Item Mode (per_item): Charges a flat transfer price per finished item (e.g. $3.50 flat per chest transfer) regardless of dimensions, adding application labor and amortized setup fees on top.

Why did my DTF matrix charge $500 for a single shirt on a quote?

Your matrix is configured in Flat Rate / Per Area mode with Square Inches selected, but you typed a flat per-shirt dollar amount (e.g. $5.00) into the rate field. In Per Area mode, $5.00 is multiplied by the graphic's square inches ($100\text{ sq in} \times $5.00 = $500$). To charge flat rates per transfer, switch your Selling Unit Type to Per Item (Flat $/pc) or use Cost-Based (Size Tiers).

How does Embroidery pricing calculate on quotes?

Embroidery pricing evaluates logo stitch count (e.g. 8,000 stitches) and total order quantity to calculate machine run cycles ($\lceil \frac{\text{Quantity}}{\text{Heads}} \rceil$). It adds machine stitch time, manual hooping and trimming labor minutes at your Shop Hourly Rate, thread and backing consumables, and your one-time digitizing fee (if not waived).

How does Screen Printing calculate on quotes?

Screen printing calculates darkroom screen setup cost per color at your Shop Hourly Rate plus screen fees, press run labor seconds per color at your Shop Hourly Rate (multiplied by press crew size), dark garment flash curing fees, and setup fee amortization across quantity. If the order meets your Auto Press cutoff, automatic press speeds and crew sizes are applied automatically.

How is Laser Engraving production time calculated?

Laser Engraving calculates job production time as: $$\text{Production Time} = \text{File & Jig Setup Mins} + \left[(\text{Burn Time} + \text{Cleaning Time}) \times \text{Quantity}\right]$$ Setup time is counted once for the entire job, while burn time and cleaning/finishing labor are multiplied by the piece count. This exact time is used by both the quote price calculator and the shop production calendar.