Im looking to print a 2013 Calendar and am looking for an affordable printing place. i know Mpix and shutterfly do a good job but theres too expensive for a model to make any money off of reselling. Who would be the best company to use on bulk affordable personalized calendars? Thanks so much
Matt Knowles
Posts: 3,520
Ferndale, California, US
This seems to come up just about every year about this time. Unless you have a huge distribution chain already setup, printing a calendar is a great way to lose money.
First, it's hard to print small quantities at a low enough cost to be able to sell them at a profit.
Second, you have about 2-3 weeks to sell them. People are just now thinking about getting calendars. I always wait to see if I score any free ones or receive any for gifts. If after December 25th I still need a calendar, I go buy one from one of the pop up calendar stores that's blowing them out.
After Christmas, it's pretty hard to sell a calendar, and if you still have stock in January, you'll probably end up having to recycle them.
If you're making calendars as a promotional item to give away, I've used Shutterfly for that.
We only print larger runs, like 1000 and up (large compared to what models would want). Most offset print companies are the same in terms of minimum quantities.
If you want a small quantity, say 50 or 100, you would need to go with digital printing.
UltimateAppeal wrote: We only print larger runs, like 1000 and up (large compared to what models would want). Most offset print companies are the same in terms of minimum quantities.
If you want a small quantity, say 50 or 100, you would need to go with digital printing.
If you were to do a 1000, what would a typical price be for offset printing?
If making calendars to make money is the goal, I think it's a bad idea. You have to order a lot, to get the price down, and then if they don't sell, you are stuck with them. A calendar isn't something that can be sold next Christmas. And no one (at least not many people) buy them in the summer. By January, pretty much everyone that wants a new calendar, has one.
Put together a nice coffee table book and had it sold as print on demand, and you don't lose money and you can sell it year after year.
Brian Scanlon wrote: If you were to do a 1000, what would a typical price be for offset printing?
Example: finished size 8.5x11, 100lb gloss text with aqueous coating, 24 page, saddle stitched, full color - full bleed (edge to edge) with 1 standard drill hole delivered UPS $2815.00 (so $2.82 each)
That is (6) 11x17 sheets after trimming, folded and saddle stitched, then drilled
Rick Dupuis Photography wrote: If making calendars to make money is the goal, -SNIP -
Put together a nice coffee table book and had it sold as print on demand, and you don't lose money and you can sell it year after year.
^^^ this for a self publishing idea, unless you have a large customer base and pre-orders to know you will at least make back your initial investment
UltimateAppeal wrote: Example: finished size 8.5x11, 100lb gloss text with aqueous coating, 24 page, saddle stitched, full color - full bleed (edge to edge) with 1 standard drill hole delivered UPS $2815.00 (so $2.82 each)
That is (6) 11x17 sheets after trimming, folded and saddle stitched, then drilled
So, a little math; if 282 were sold at $10, that's break even, the other 718 would be profit.
Thats IF any could be sold at all in the aforementioned tiny window available...
Does the OP have the means to sell calendars at a "autograph my calendar" type event?
joeyk wrote: So, a little math; if 282 were sold at $10, that's break even, the other 718 would be profit.
Thats IF any could be sold at all in the aforementioned tiny window available...
Does the OP have the means to sell calendars at a "autograph my calendar" type event?
That is considering the OP has a graphic designer that can prepare press ready artwork or can do it herself. Otherwise, the US average (based on our customers) is $70/hour for a competent GD to do the work for you. Say it takes them 10 hours to create the press ready artwork, tack on $700.
UltimateAppeal wrote: That is considering the OP has a graphic designer that can prepare press ready artwork or can do it herself. Otherwise, the US average (based on our customers) is $70/hour for a competent GD to do the work for you. Say it takes them 10 hours to create the press ready artwork, tack on $700.
If you can finish the images and order the book by midnight the 6th of December, Picaboo has it's 8 1/2 inch by 11/inch calendars at 60% off using the coupon DECEMBERGIFT. Go to their site and check specials. They run specials on books and calendars all of the time.
I am not selling them, nor affiliated with them, just trying to be responsive to your question about alternatives. Their normal price for that size is $19.99 so that reduces it to 8 bucks per calendar, plus shipping. Maybe they will cut you a break on shipping multiple calendars, I am not sure about that.
I have used picaboo and it is a pretty good digital printing alternative, similar to shutterfly, at least you could print a few proofs at discount this way.
I have never heard of a not nationally known and professionally produced and printed calendar being profitable.
Of course, I'm somewhat jaded since the three that I've been involved with all ran out of money right before the "printing" phase.
Unless you KNOW you can sell 300 at $20 a pop, you can't afford to have them printed. The sweet spot for printing calendars seems to be around 1000 copies.
By the way... is Google down? That's usually how I get information.
EDIT:
I stand corrected.
This site currently has a 50% deal and printing 250 calendars seems to be a pretty attractive price.
Good Egg Productions wrote: I have never heard of a not nationally known and professionally produced and printed calendar being profitable.
I used to do well. However, I would shoot 12-24 models for the calendar and they were responsible for the sales. I found they could sell 100-200 apiece, some did a little better.
They got $3 per, I got $3 per, the printing took ALL of the rest. We sold for $15 each and as time ran out, the price went down...
Nothing against Good Egg, but IMHO; blah - digital <~200 linescreen quality. For something like this you are just as well off to go with Cafepress and 1 offs.
Personally, I would want to give my customers something high quality so they would return in the future.
Nothing against Good Egg, but IMHO; blah - digital <~200 linescreen quality. For something like this you are just as well off to go with Cafepress and 1 offs.
Personally, I would want to give my customers something high quality so they would return in the future.
That was just the first "cheap calendar printing" return I got on Google. I didn't read much past the price.
I'm surprised that no one has noticed that the OP is a model. It might be well here to remind her that unless she has entered into a special arrangement (i.e. specific usage agreements permitting her to do so) with each of her photographers, she could be liable for some very expensive court battles, which she would certainly lose, if she attempts to sell calendars containing the pictures they took.
A model friend of mine used them, you can set up a link they can buy from so you didn't have to order and lose out. She also did a pre order and collected the money upfront. She ordered some to have on hand too.. She charged $20-25 and I think her cost was $12.
However this was a couple years back so things may have changed.
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