Use invoices, not “cost per shirt” ads
Enter delivered film, ink and powder cost for the exact design area and print mode. A manufacturer estimate can be a starting hypothesis, but replace it with purchase invoices and production logs before financing equipment.
How failure allowance works
The model divides materials and hands-on attempt labor by the saleable rate. At a 6% failure rate, it assumes roughly 1.064 attempts per saleable transfer. This is conservative when a failed attempt is caught early; change the rate to match your log.
Costs intentionally left outside
Garment blank, outbound shipping, rent, tax, design time, equipment depreciation, financing and owner profit are not automatically included. Put only genuinely per-transfer items in “other”; carry setup capital and monthly fixed overhead into the break-even calculator.
Compare machines on the same assumptions
Use identical artwork, saleable volume and labor rate for each quote, then change consumable prices, failure allowance, maintenance reserve and service risk. The exact-machine matrix lists which operating-cost inputs still require a written seller quote.