Batch Sizing for Dyed Goods: Color Consistency, Reproducibility, and Profitability
Dye a small batch and your per-unit costs are high but colors are consistent. Dye a large batch and costs drop 20-30% but matching colors becomes a challenge. This guide teaches you to optimize batch size for profit and consistency.
The Batch Size Trade-Off
Small Batches (5-10 kg)
Per-unit cost: High. Setup costs and labor spread over fewer pieces.
Color consistency: Excellent. Easy to replicate exact shade next batch.
Best for: Custom orders, limited editions, experimenting with new dyes.
Large Batches (25-50 kg)
Per-unit cost: Low. Setup and labor spread across many pieces (20-30% savings).
Color consistency: Challenging. Variation within batch and difficulty matching future dye lots.
Best for: Production runs of popular colors. Accepting minor color variation as part of handmade aesthetic.
Ideal: Medium Batches (15-25 kg)
The sweet spot: Good per-unit cost (12-15% savings vs. small), manageable color consistency, enough volume for consistent sales.
Reality: Most successful dyers use medium batches as their baseline, with small batches for custom/unique orders and large batches for proven bestsellers.
Cost Impact of Batch Size
Cost Comparison: Natural Dye, Same Color
Small batch (10 kg):
• Dye materials: $12 | Labor (6 hrs): $240 | Equipment: $2 | Per kg: $25.40
Medium batch (20 kg):
• Dye materials: $18 | Labor (8 hrs): $320 | Equipment: $3 | Per kg: $17.05 (-33% cost!)
Large batch (50 kg):
• Dye materials: $35 | Labor (14 hrs): $560 | Equipment: $5 | Per kg: $12.00 (-53% cost vs. small)
The catch: Large batches have internal color variation. If you need exact color matching across batches, the cost savings disappear (you have to re-dye or discard off-color pieces).
Managing Color Consistency
Three strategies to maintain consistency while staying profitable:
Strategy 1: Dye Lots with Transparency
Dye in medium batches (20 kg). Label each product with a dye lot number. Tell customers: "Handmade items may vary slightly; we assign dye lot numbers so you can order matching pieces."
Cost savings: 33% | Customer acceptance: High (reinforces handmade value)
Strategy 2: Reserve Large Batches for Bestsellers
Only large-batch dye proven bestselling colors (the ones you've made 3+ times). Test new colors in small batches.
Cost savings: 50% on bestsellers | Low risk: You already know they sell
Strategy 3: Use Chemical Dyes for Consistency, Natural for Premium
Chemical dyes are more consistent (fewer variables). Use them for production runs. Reserve natural dyes for limited editions where variation is a feature.
Cost savings: 40-50% on chemical | Margin boost: 50%+ on natural premium
Key Takeaways
✓ Small batches (5-10 kg) have high per-unit cost but perfect color consistency
✓ Medium batches (15-25 kg) offer 33% cost savings with acceptable consistency
✓ Large batches (50+ kg) save 50% but require dye lot tracking or accept variation
✓ Use dye lot numbers transparently—customers value handmade variation
✓ Reserve large batches for proven bestselling colors only
Optimize Batch Sizes. Maximize Margins.
TrueCraft tracks dye lot consistency and production costs by batch.
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