Cardboard Box Cost Calculator by run volume.
Setup does not depend on run size: plates are made per color and design, the die per format, and adjustment consumes time and test cardboard. All of it is split across the number of boxes in the order. The calculator shows you the run size at which setup becomes negligible, and below which run a price quoted at series rates puts you at a loss.
setup = plates + die + adjustment
Setup drops below 10% of the cost per box from a run of approximately 10,688 pieces. Below this threshold, price should be calculated per order, not per piece. And below a few hundred pieces, the right choice is digital cutting, with no plates and no die.
Limits of the calculation.
Enter your own real costs
The default values are only a plausible starting point. Enter your own plate price per color, the die cost from your supplier, and the actual setup time multiplied by the line's hourly cost.
Plates get reused
When the same order repeats, the plates and die already exist, so setup drops drastically. This is why the second run for the same client is far more profitable than the first, and the price can stay the same.
Cardboard is only part of the material cost
The material line includes the board, ink, adhesive and production waste. If you use only the board price, you underestimate the cost per box by a few percentage points.
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