Guide
Why the same designs cost different amounts at different printers
The same packed sheet can total a different amount at every printer. None of these differences come from the layout: they come from how each printer prices, delivers and taxes the order.
Printers price by length in different ways
Some printers charge a flat rate per length of film. Others charge less per length the more you order, in steps, so a longer sheet can cost less per metre. Others sell only fixed sheet sizes, so your packed length is rounded up to the sheet size that holds it, and any space left on that sheet is still paid for.
Minimum orders round the length up
A printer with a minimum order length charges for that minimum even when your packed sheet is shorter. A short job can cost the same at that printer as a longer one, while a printer with no minimum charges only for the length used.
Delivery and tax are added differently
Delivery can be a flat charge, free above a threshold, or not shown on the printer's own page at all. UK prices are usually shown including VAT; a few state prices before VAT, which is added afterwards. US prices are shown before sales tax, which depends on the delivery address and is not part of the total shown here.
The ranking is total price, nothing else
When the builder ranks printers for your sheet, it orders them by total price only: film, delivery and tax added together. A printer's position never changes for any other reason.