Hone your laser cutting: price the bed time, keep the margin
The laser is fast. The margin lives in the material you nest and the time on the bed.
Cutting is the easy part. Pricing it so small jobs aren't overpriced and big ones aren't underpriced is the craft. Here is where laser work leaks money, and where it makes it.
Where the margin leaks
The pricing traps that quietly cost makers money.
Charging a whole sheet for a coaster
A small design does not cost a full sheet. Meter the area the cut actually uses, and only charge whole-sheet when you truly waste the rest, or you price yourself out of small work.
Forgetting the tube or diode wears out
Your laser source is a consumable with a finite life and a real replacement cost. Fold that into the machine line, or it ambushes you the day it dies.
Guessing the cut time
Cut time drives the machine cost, and a guess runs low. Tune the speeds to your machine and material so the estimate matches the clock.
Where the money is
The levers that actually move your take-home.
Nest tight
More parts per sheet is the cleanest win. The same material and setup turn into more sellable pieces.
Know your engrave time
Engraving is far slower than cutting. Price engrave-heavy jobs on the time, not the footprint.
Steer to the material that pays
Acrylic and hardwood carry more perceived value than MDF for similar bed time. Sell up where you can.
What to track
The few numbers worth watching.
Dollars per machine hour
The bed is the scarce resource. Watch what each product earns per hour on it.
Material yield per sheet
How much of each sheet becomes product versus offcut. Low yield is silent cost.
Source hours used
Track tube or diode hours so the depreciation line is real, not a someday surprise.
Set Anvil up for it
How to make Anvil price your craft the honest way.
Drop the SVG
Anvil reads the footprint and cut length off your file, so material and time come from the real design.
Trace a logo to SVG
The built-in tracer turns line art into a cut-ready SVG, then straight into the estimate.
Set your real cut speeds
Tune the speed presets to your machine and material so the time line matches reality.
Know your craft.
The cost engine is free. Put your real numbers in and see what to charge.