Print run & overage calculator
How many units should you order after your campaign? Enough for every backer, spares for damaged parcels, late pledges and any retail copies, without tying up cash in boxes you'll never sell.
Your campaign
Your factory quote
Cost at each option
| Order | Units | Per unit | Total |
|---|
How many copies should you print?
Start with the copies backers have paid for, then add the copies you'll need but haven't sold yet:
- Spares for damage and loss. Somewhere between 1% and 5% of parcels arrive damaged or go missing, and you'll want replacements on hand rather than reprinting.
- Late pledges. If you'll sell through a pledge manager after the campaign, those orders need stock too.
- Retail and press. Store and distributor orders, convention copies, reviewers and your own shop.
Kickstarter's own guidance is to order your backer count plus about 15% if you won't take late pledges, or plus 25–30% overall if you will. Some printers include a small free overrun (PrintNinja quotes 2%), but don't count on it as your spares.
When a bigger print run is worth it
Unit price drops as quantity rises. Jamey Stegmaier's example: $16 a unit at 1,000 copies, $13 at 2,500. Going up a price break can cost less per unit and only a little more in total, but every extra box is cash tied up in a warehouse until it sells, plus storage fees. Jump to the next break only if you have a real plan for the extra units: retail, distribution, late pledges or a second campaign.
Price breaks in between
This calculator uses the price of the nearest break at or below your quantity, which is the cautious choice. Many factories will quote quantities in between, often at a price between two breaks, so ask for a quote at your exact number.
Print run questions creators ask
How many spare copies should I order for Kickstarter?
Kickstarter suggests your backer count plus about 15% if you won't take late pledges, or plus 25–30% in total if you will. Spares cover damaged and lost parcels, which usually run between 1% and 5%.
What is a minimum order quantity?
The smallest run a factory will produce. For board games it's often around 1,000 units; offset-printed books are often 500–1,000. If you have fewer backers, you still pay for the minimum, so your goal should cover it.
Should I print extra copies for retail?
Only if you have a plan to sell them. Distributors typically pay around 40% of the retail price, so check that the margin works at your unit cost before ordering extra.
Where these numbers come from
- Kickstarter, What creators should do when rewards arrive damaged or don't arrive at all: +15% / +25–30% spares, 1–5% damage
- Kickstarter, How to create an expert Kickstarter budget: 500–1,000 minimum for offset books
- Jamey Stegmaier (Stonemaier Games): $16 at 1,000 vs $13 at 2,500 example, MOQ around 1,000 at a board game factory
- PrintNinja: 2% free overrun. The distributor share (about 40% of retail) is an industry rule of thumb, an estimate only.
Checked October 2026. Use your factory's actual quote; prices here are only examples.
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