Resin Art Pricing Calculator

Why resin pricing is different from other crafts

Resin has a feature other craft categories lack: high failure rate. A coaster with a giant bubble, a tray with dust inclusions, or a demold tear is a complete write-off of materials and labor. Pros budget 10-15% failure rate in their pricing. That failure-rate buffer is why resin supports higher margins (100-200%+) than comparable craft categories.

The second unique factor is mold amortization. Unlike sublimation or HTV where your "tool" lasts essentially forever, silicone resin molds wear out after 30-80 pours. Premium HDPE molds last longer but cost 5-10x more up front. Factor per-use mold cost honestly or you quietly lose money as your molds degrade.

Worked example: 4-inch round coaster

60ml resin × $0.30/ml = $18. Alcohol ink pigment $0.80. Dried flower inclusion $0.50. Mold cost per use $0.40. Packaging $0.50. Labor 15 min × $25/hr = $6.25. Overhead $0.40. Total cost: $26.85.

At 100% margin, retail = $53.70. That feels high for a coaster, but it reflects the real material cost (60ml of epoxy is genuinely expensive). Most coasters sell at $18-$25 because they are cut much smaller (40ml or less) and use cheaper molds. Adjust your inputs to match what you actually cast.

A more typical small coaster at 40ml and $0.25/ml with a $10 simple mold (50 pours): resin $10 + pigment $0.40 + mold $0.20 + packaging $0.40 + labor 12 min × $25 = $5 + overhead $0.25 = $16.25 cost. At 100% margin → $32.50 retail, round to $32.

Five common resin pricing mistakes

1. Ignoring failure rate. If 10% of your pours have bubbles or dust, you need to price 10% higher on the successful ones. Most resin shops fold this into "overhead per piece."

2. Skipping mold amortization. Treating molds as free inventory hides a real cost. Divide your mold price by expected pours and add that to every piece.

3. Using retail resin kit prices when you buy bulk. Or vice versa. Update the per-ml cost in the calculator to match your actual sourcing tier.

4. Underpricing large pieces. A wall piece is not just bigger - it is riskier (more likely to fail), slower (longer active labor, longer cure), and uses more material. Markup on 500ml+ pieces should be 150%+.

5. Not charging for custom designs. A custom ocean wave or geode design takes 20-40 extra minutes of planning and layout. Add a design fee ($15-$35 depending on complexity) or absorb it into a higher custom retail ($20-$40 premium over your stock listing).