Glass etching price calculator
For makers quoting etched or laser-engraved glasses, mugs, mirrors and awards, and for buyers checking a quote: enter the blank cost, the setup time and the minutes each piece takes.
How to use this calculator
An etching order has two kinds of cost. Setup happens once: preparing the artwork, cutting the stencil or setting up the laser file, and etching a test piece. Per-piece work repeats for every item: masking, sandblasting or engraving, peeling, cleaning and packing. The calculator adds the setup minutes to the per-piece minutes × quantity, converts to hours and multiplies by your shop rate. Blanks and consumables are added per piece, and a markup on the total cost covers equipment, overheads and profit.
The result shows why per-piece prices fall as orders grow: the setup is shared. With the defaults, 45 minutes of setup at $45 an hour adds about $1.40 to each glass in an order of 24, but about $34 to a single glass. Buyers asking for one personalised glass should expect a higher price per piece than a wedding order of fifty.
Times vary a lot with the method. Sandblasting through a vinyl or photoresist stencil needs masking and cleanup per piece; laser engraving on a rotary attachment needs less handling but its own file setup and test runs on the same glass. Enter your real times from a test piece rather than guessing.
Have a window to fill?
Brief the glass once. Let makers bid.
Post your measurements, photos and budget free. Verified stained glass, fused glass and etching makers quote, and the platform keeps your payment until you confirm the piece was delivered.
Questions about this calculator
Is laser engraving or sandblasting better for glass?
Both frost the surface. Sandblasting can cut deeper, carve in stages and work on large flat glass; laser engraving is quick and repeatable for logos and text on glassware. Ask your maker which they use and for a proof on the same glass.
Why is a single etched glass so expensive?
Because the artwork, stencil or laser setup and the test piece cost the same for one glass as for fifty. In larger orders that setup is shared across every piece.