Business Cards & Postcards
80% – 150%
Low unit wholesale costs make cards prime candidates for 100%+ markups. Clients value speed, paper thickness (16pt), and professional finish over pennies.
View business cards specs →
INTERACTIVE PRICING TOOL
Commercial Print Profit & Markup Calculator.
Calculate your wholesale trade costs, client markups, retail selling prices, and net profit margins across popular commercial print products. See your margin potential before sending a quote.
100% blind shipping
No equipment investment
Keep 100% of markups
PROFIT CALCULATOR
Live Calculator
Interactive margin estimator
Select a sample product and adjust your markup.
Wholesale Cost
$24.50
Client Price
$36.75
Net Profit
+$12.25
Gross Profit Margin:
33%
✓ Trade cost includes standard tracked shipping
✓ You collect directly from clients
Start quoting with this markup →
PRICING MATH EXPLAINED
The difference between markup and profit margin.
One of the most common pricing mistakes in commercial print is confusing markup percentage with profit margin percentage.
Markup Formula
Markup Percentage
Markup is the percentage added to your wholesale cost to determine your customer selling price.
Markup % = ((Selling Price - Wholesale Cost) / Wholesale Cost) × 100
Example: If 500 business cards cost you $25 wholesale and you apply a 60% markup, your client price is $40.00 ($25 × 1.60).
Margin Formula
Gross Profit Margin
Profit margin is the percentage of the final selling price that remains as profit after subtracting trade costs.
Margin % = ((Selling Price - Wholesale Cost) / Selling Price) × 100
Example: Selling at $40.00 with a $25 wholesale cost yields $15 net profit, which is a 37.5% profit margin ($15 / $40).
| Wholesale Trade Cost | Applied Markup | Client Selling Price | Net Profit | Effective Profit Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25.00 | 25% | $31.25 | $6.25 | 20.0% |
| $25.00 | 50% | $37.50 | $12.50 | 33.3% |
| $25.00 | 75% | $43.75 | $18.75 | 42.9% |
| $25.00 | 100% (Keystone) | $50.00 | $25.00 | 50.0% |
| $25.00 | 150% | $62.50 | $37.50 | 60.0% |
COMMERCIAL BENCHMARKS
Standard print markups by product category.
Use these typical industry guidelines to calibrate your customer pricing.
Yard Signs & Vinyl Banners
70% – 120%
Realtors, political campaigns, contractors, and retail stores expect higher price points for durable outdoor signage, allowing generous dollar margins.
View yard signs specs →Event Flyers & Brochures
40% – 70%
Higher quantity runs (1,000+ units) typically carry lower percentage markups but generate solid gross dollar profit per order.
View flyers specs →
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Print pricing & margin questions.
Everything you need to know about setting rates and protecting your profit.
What is a markup calculator?
A markup calculator helps you set a selling price by adding a percentage to the cost of a print job. Enter your job cost and markup to see what to charge your client and how much profit the job would make.
What is the difference between markup and profit margin?
Markup is the percentage added to your wholesale cost to determine your selling price (e.g., $50 cost + 50% markup = $75 price). Profit margin is the percentage of the selling price that is profit (e.g., $25 profit / $75 price = 33.3% margin). PrintFounder calculates both automatically.
What is a typical markup for commercial print resellers?
Print resellers typically charge a 40% to 150% markup depending on the product. High-volume commodities like flyers usually carry 40–60% markups, while business cards, banners, and yard signs frequently carry 100–150% markups.
Does wholesale cost include shipping?
Standard tracked shipping is calculated during quoting so you know your true landed cost before setting your client selling price.
Do clients know my wholesale costs or markup?
Never. PrintFounder uses 100% blind shipping with your return address, and quote PDFs sent to clients show only your retail selling price.
Start quoting with complete margin control.
Create a free Solo account to quote, configure, and fulfill client orders.