A promotional products quote can look straightforward at first glance, but there are a few line items that often raise questions, particularly setup fees, logo digitising, and freight. Understanding what each of these covers makes it much easier to compare quotes and plan a budget accurately.
Setup Costs
Setup costs always appear as their own line on our estimates rather than being folded into the unit price. This keeps pricing transparent and makes it clear exactly what you are paying for.
For digital decoration processes, the setup is a one off charge of $85. Embroidery is the same, at $85 per location, since each position on a garment needs its own setup.
Screen printing works a little differently, with setup charged per colour, per position, also at $85. This means a five colour screen print on the front of a hoodie will involve five separate setups, one for each colour used in that position.
Logo Digitising
For embroidery, the cost of digitising your logo is included within the setup fee rather than charged as a separate line. Once a logo has been digitised, that file is kept on hand for future reorders, so the digitising cost is generally only incurred the first time a logo is embroidered.
Custom Pens With Logos
Freight
Freight is the most variable part of any quote, and it is genuinely difficult to price accurately until we know the full order specifications alongside the production timeframe available and the delivery deadline required. A small order such as 100 drink bottles on a standard two day courier service might only cost around $20 to ship. A large order such as 1000 drink bottles that needs to go out overnight because it was placed at the last minute could cost significantly more, potentially reaching $1000 or beyond.
What we can guarantee is that we use the most reliable carriers available to us and send every order in the most economical way possible while still meeting your deadline. Getting orders confirmed with enough lead time is the simplest way to keep freight costs down.
Custom Hoodies
Samples
Pre-production samples are available for items manufactured in New Zealand, usually costing between $100 and $200 each. It is worth factoring in the impact on your timeline as well as the cost, since adding a pre-production sample step typically turns a two week delivery project into a four week one. This is worth considering for large or high stakes orders where getting the product exactly right before full production begins is a priority, but may not be necessary for smaller or more straightforward runs.
Putting It Together
A complete quote will generally include the unit cost of your chosen product, setup fees based on your decoration method and number of colours or positions, freight calculated once your order details and deadline are confirmed, and optionally the cost of a pre-production sample if you would like one. Understanding each of these components makes it much easier to see exactly where your budget is going and to plan realistic timeframes alongside your costs.
