Pricing guide
What custom labels really cost, from the people who print them
Label pricing looks opaque because most sellers only run one kind of press and quote around that limitation. We run both flexo and digital in our Montreal plant, so we can explain exactly what moves a label quote up or down, and what to send us for a real manufacturer-direct number within one business day.
What moves the price
1.Quantity: the biggest lever
Setup is a fixed cost spread across your run, so the unit price falls as the quantity climbs. On flexo that setup includes plates and make-ready; on digital it's nearly nothing. Either way, the same artwork at ten times the quantity costs far less per label, which is why the honest first question is always how many you actually need.
2.Flexo or digital: the crossover that decides your unit price
Digital has no plates, so short runs are cheap to start but each label carries a higher run cost. Flexo pays for plates and make-ready up front, then runs each label for less. Below a crossover point digital wins; above it, flexo wins. A shop with only one press will quote you onto the press it owns. We run both, so we quote your job on whichever one is actually cheaper for your run length.
3.Label size, shape, and the die
A bigger label uses more material and fits fewer labels across the web, so material and press time both rise with size. Shape matters through the cutting die: a standard rectangle, oval, or circle uses tooling we already have, while a custom contour needs a new die, a one-time cost that reorders then reuse for free.
4.Substrate: paper, film, and the adhesive
Paper stocks are the economical baseline; films cost more but survive moisture, fridges, ice buckets, and squeeze bottles. The adhesive is its own decision: permanent, removable, freezer-grade, or wash-off each carry a different cost. The wrong material is the most expensive choice of all, because a peeling label means reprinting the whole run, so we spec for where the label actually lives.
5.Colours and finishes
Four-colour process is the baseline. Spot colours and metallics add plates and press time on flexo; varnish is the economical protection; lamination costs more but adds durability and a matte or gloss feel; foil and embossing add real equipment time. Finishes also sell product on the shelf, so the useful question is which one earns back its cost, and we'll tell you honestly.
6.How many SKUs and versions
On flexo, every version means new plates, so a lineup of flavours or sizes multiplies setup. On digital, versioning is nearly free: fifty variants of a design can run in one pass with no plate cost. If your brand lives on lots of SKUs, seasonal editions, or per-batch changes, that alone can decide which press your money belongs on.
7.Who you buy from
A broker or online platform resells a manufacturer's work with a margin on top, and can only offer the presses its suppliers happen to own. Buying direct from the plant removes that layer and puts the press decision in the hands of people who run both. It's the one cost factor that has nothing to do with your label, and you control it completely.
How to pay less, honestly
Gang your SKUs onto one run
Ordering your whole lineup together lets us combine versions on one run instead of setting up each SKU separately. Same labels, one setup, lower unit cost across the board. Send the full list and we'll quote it as one job.
Let the run length pick the press
Don't pay flexo setup for a short run, and don't pay digital run costs on a volume flexo would crush. Tell us your real quantities, including reorders you can see coming, and we'll quote both presses so you can see the crossover for yourself.
Start from a standard die shape
A standard rectangle, oval, or circle uses tooling we already own, so you skip the one-time die cost entirely. Save the custom contour for the label where the shape is doing real work on the shelf.
Buy direct from the manufacturer
No broker margin, no platform fee, and no press decision skewed by what a middleman's supplier happens to run. You also get the same plant on every reorder, so colour stays consistent from batch to batch.
The bottom line
Custom label pricing comes down to quantity, the flexo-versus-digital crossover, size and shape, substrate, colours and finishes, how many versions you run, and who you buy from. Buying direct from a manufacturer like Accent Flex in Montreal, which runs both presses, means the press recommendation serves your margin, and a complete spec gets you a real, itemized price within one business day.
For an accurate quote in one business day
Include these in your request and we'll come back with a real number, not a vague range.
- Label dimensions and shape, or the container it goes on if you're not sure yet
- Quantity per SKU and the number of SKUs or versions in the order
- Where the label lives: fridge, freezer, ice bucket, wet hands, outdoors, or a dry shelf
- Colours and any finishes you're considering (varnish, lamination, foil, embossing)
- Your deadline, so we can confirm a realistic production window
Frequently asked questions
- How much do custom labels cost per unit?
- It depends on quantity, size, substrate, colours, finishes, and which press the run belongs on, which is why serious manufacturers quote per project. What we can promise: you see the manufacturer's price with no broker margin, quoted on the press that's actually cheapest for your run, within one business day of sending your specs.
- When is digital cheaper than flexo?
- On shorter runs and on orders with many versions, because digital skips plates and setup. Flexo takes over once the volume is high enough for its lower run cost to pay back the setup. We run both presses, so ask us to quote both and the crossover shows up right in the numbers.
- Do I have to pay for a die every time?
- No. A cutting die is a one-time tooling cost, and reorders of the same shape reuse it. Standard shapes like rectangles, ovals, and circles usually use tooling we already own, so many first orders skip the die cost too.
- Can I combine several label versions in one order?
- Yes, and you should. On digital, a flavour lineup or a set of seasonal variants runs in one pass with no plate cost per version. Even on flexo, ordering the family together lets us plan the run more efficiently than quoting each SKU on its own.
- Can US companies get pricing in US dollars?
- Yes. We price in Canadian dollars, which a favourable exchange rate makes attractive for a US budget, and we accept payment in USD. Our Montreal plant is about an hour from the US border, and many printed labels cross duty-free or at low duty under CUSMA.
Start your project
Send your specs and get a manufacturer-direct price, itemized line by line, within one business day.