How accurate is this embroidery calculator?

The calculator uses industry-standard rules of thumb for stitch density, machine speed, and setup time. It is accurate enough for quoting and planning, but you should validate the numbers against your own machine, fabric, and workflow and adjust the defaults accordingly.

Can I use this for both machine and hand embroidery?

Yes. The stitch and time logic works for both. For hand embroidery, use a much lower stitches-per-minute value (for example 60–120 SPM) and adjust the hourly rate to your desired wage.

How do I estimate stitch count from design size?

If you do not have an exact stitch count from your digitizing software, you can estimate it from the design area and stitch density. A common rule of thumb is 4,000–6,000 stitches per square inch for filled designs. The calculator uses a default of 5,000 stitches per square inch, which you can change.

What hourly rate should I charge for embroidery?

Your hourly rate should cover your labor, machine wear, overhead, and profit. Many small shops use $30–$60 per machine hour, but the right number depends on your costs and market. You can experiment with different hourly rates in the calculator to see how it affects your per-piece price.

Does the calculator include digitizing fees?

Yes. You can enter a one-time digitizing fee and optionally amortize it across the order quantity. The results show both the base embroidery price and the price including digitizing.

Embroidery Calculator

Estimate stitch count, hoop size, production time, thread usage, and job pricing for machine or hand embroidery.

Design & Machine Settings

I know the exact stitch count

Design width

Design height

Stitch density

stitches / in²

Typical filled designs: 4,000–6,000 stitches per square inch.

Machine speed

stitches / min

Efficiency

0–1

Accounts for trims, color changes, and slowdowns.

Hooping time per item

min

Fixed setup time per job

min

Quantity

Results

Estimated stitch count: 8,000

Design area: 6.0 in²

Hoop suggestion: 4" × 4"

Run time per piece: 12.0 min

Total machine time: 5.3 h

Total job time (incl. setup): 5.7 h

Thread usage (top + bobbin): 65 m

Hoop suggestion is based on design width and height with a small margin. Always verify against your actual hoop sizes and garment constraints.

Cost & Pricing Inputs

Stitch count (from panel 1 or manual)

You can click “Use stitch result” after running the Stitch & Time panel.

Quantity

Hourly rate

Thread cost

Per 1,000 stitches (top + bobbin).

Garment / blank cost

Total job time

min

You can copy this from the Stitch & Time panel.

Digitizing fee (optional)

Markup

Pricing Results

Labor cost: $0.00

Thread cost: $0.00

Garment cost: $0.00

Digitizing fee: $0.00

Base cost per piece: $0.00

Price per piece (with markup): $0.00

Price per piece incl. digitizing: $0.00

Total order price: $0.00

This is a planning and quoting aid. Always round prices to sensible numbers and consider your local market, taxes, and minimum order policies.

How this embroidery calculator works

This embroidery calculator is designed for both hobbyists and professional shops. It combines three tools:

Stitch & time estimator – from design size or known stitch count.
Pricing calculator – converts time and materials into a suggested selling price.
Cross‑stitch helper – for counted cross‑stitch and hand embroidery projects.

1. Estimating stitch count

If you do not know the exact stitch count, the calculator estimates it from the design area and stitch density:

Design area (in²) = width × height (inches)

Estimated stitches = design area × stitch density

A common rule of thumb for filled designs is 4,000–6,000 stitches per square inch. Light, open designs may be closer to 2,000–3,000 stitches per square inch. You can adjust the density field to match your own digitizing style.

2. Machine run time

Machine run time is based on stitches per minute (SPM) and an efficiency factor that accounts for color changes, trims, and slowdowns:

Effective SPM = rated SPM × efficiency

Run time per piece (minutes) = stitches ÷ effective SPM

For example, if your machine is rated at 1,000 SPM but you typically run at 80% efficiency, the effective speed is 800 SPM.

3. Total job time

Total job time includes hooping and a fixed setup time for the whole order:

Total job time = setup time + quantity × (hooping time + run time per piece)

4. Thread usage

Thread usage is approximated from stitch count. A common approximation is about 4–5 stitches per centimeter of thread per strand. The calculator uses a simple linear rule:

Thread length ≈ stitches × 0.005 m

This is only an estimate; dense satin stitches, heavy fabrics, and specialty threads may use more.

5. Pricing model

The pricing panel converts time and materials into a suggested selling price:

Labor cost = (total job time in hours) × hourly rate

Thread cost = (stitches ÷ 1,000) × thread cost per 1,000 stitches

Garment cost = quantity × garment cost

Base cost = labor + thread + garment

Base cost per piece = base cost ÷ quantity

Price per piece = base cost per piece × (1 + markup)

Digitizing is treated as a separate one‑time fee. The calculator also shows the per‑piece price if you spread the digitizing fee across the order.

6. Cross‑stitch sizing

For cross‑stitch, the design size is determined by the stitch count and fabric count:

Width (in) = stitches wide ÷ fabric count

Height (in) = stitches high ÷ fabric count

Total stitches = stitches wide × stitches high

Time is then estimated from your personal stitching speed (stitches per minute).

Tips for more accurate embroidery estimates

Calibrate the calculator by timing a few real jobs and adjusting SPM, efficiency, and hooping time.
Use different hourly rates for simple caps vs. complex placements or specialty garments.
Set a minimum order price or minimum per‑piece charge to protect your profit on small runs.
Keep notes on which fabrics or designs tend to run slower and adjust efficiency accordingly.