Printing, Labels & Industrial Converting worked example

Label Cost Per Unit at 68% yield after waste: a worked example in printing, labels & industrial converting

This worked example runs the label cost per unit numbers for a tougher week than the baseline: 68% yield after waste instead of the typical 94%. Estimate the fully loaded cost per pressure-sensitive label including substrate, ink, web waste, and tooling.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Labels printed: 50,000 labels (held at the documented default)
  • Substrate and ink cost: 0.01 $/label (held at the documented default)
  • Yield after waste: 68 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 94)
  • Die and setup charge: 180 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Total label cost = labels x substrate+ink cost x yield% + die and setup charge.
  • Total label cost per unit cost works out to 588 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Label cost per unit cost per unit works out to 0.01 $ / piece at these inputs.
  • Variable label cost per unit cost works out to 408 $ at these inputs.
  • Fixed label cost per unit adder works out to 180 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where yield after waste sits at 94% and the headline result is 744 $, this scenario comes in 20.97% below the baseline at 588 $.
  • Use it when quoting a label job, comparing a short run against a longer run, or checking whether die and setup amortization is killing your per-unit price. A result at this level usually justifies acting on the stressed input before touching anything else, because every other figure in the table is downstream of it.

Results at a glance

  • Total label cost per unit cost: 588 $ (headline result)
  • Label cost per unit cost per unit: 0.01 $ / piece
  • Variable label cost per unit cost: 408 $
  • Fixed label cost per unit adder: 180 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Label Cost Per Unit calculator, set yield after waste to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.