In this guide 6 sections
Give every paper line one record built from grade, GSM, sheet size or reel width, and a unit of count. Count sheets in reams and reels by weight. After each job, post the cut-off or offcut back as its own record so nothing vanishes between the stores and the press.
Build the item code from four facts
“Art paper” alone tells the stores nothing. Art paper at 130 GSM in a 25 by 36 inch sheet is a different item from the same grade at 170 GSM, and each needs its own code.
Use four fields, grade, GSM, size and finish, because gloss, matt, uncoated and silk all price differently even when the sheet looks identical.
Add the mill as a fifth field only when you buy one grade from several suppliers, since their reels and sheets rarely match.
- Grade such as art, maplitho, kraft or duplex board
- GSM or caliper for boards
- Sheet size or reel width
- Finish and grain direction
- Supplier or mill
Count sheets in reams, reels in kilograms
Count sheets by the ream. Loose sheets go on a separate line. A pack opened for one job rarely goes back sealed, and a month of forgotten part-packs adds up to a pallet of board nobody can find.
Reels are different. A reel loses weight and diameter as it runs, so counting each reel as one unit hides the truth about what is left on the core. Weigh it on entry. Weigh the remainder at the machine.
Convert between sheets and kilograms inside the system. Ask your software to use GSM and size to work out the weight of a ream, so purchase orders and job estimates agree.
Track the cut-off, not just the issue
A job rarely uses a full sheet. A parent sheet is cut to a smaller size and a strip is left over, and if the strip is a usable size, it deserves its own record.
Post each cut as two movements. The parent sheet goes out, the cut size comes in, and the offcut comes in under its own code with its dimensions.
Planners can then find offcuts. A half-sheet of 300 GSM board might cover a small job that would otherwise trigger a fresh purchase from the merchant and a wait for delivery.
- Parent sheet issued to the job
- Cut size received into the cutting area
- Offcut size and quantity booked back
- Waste weight logged when the strip is unusable
Reconcile against the job, not the year
Annual stock-taking finds losses too late to trace. Compare issued paper against the job’s planned sheets the day each job closes, while the operator and the press are still fresh in memory.
Printers add spoilage sheets for make-ready and finishing. Record that allowance on the job ticket, then compare it with what the press actually consumed once the run is counted at the packing table.
A job that keeps consuming more than allowed points to a worn guillotine, a poor operator habit or a bad estimate, and each has a different cure. Only the job record keeps the answer, because the stack has gone to the customer and nobody can weigh what was shipped.
Start with one aisle
Do not recode the store in a week. Pick the paper you use daily, usually two or three grades, and count it properly for a month, logging every loose sheet and part-pack.
Label stacks by item code. Wrappers get torn off.
After a month, compare the system count against the shelf for that one aisle, and fix the habits that caused any gap before extending the method to boards.
Paper stock count sheet
On this single-page worksheet every stack is a separate line. Columns hold the item code, grade, GSM, size or reel width, reams or kilograms counted, loose sheets, offcuts with their dimensions, shelf location and counter’s initials. Below the rows, a small table names the jobs closed that week, with sheets issued and sheets returned.
Open a blank worksheet to printQuestions owners ask
Should reels be counted by weight or by number?
By weight. A half-used reel and a full reel are both one reel by number, which hides most of the value. Weigh in, weigh out.
Is it worth recording offcuts?
Yes, when the offcut is large enough for a future job. Tiny strips can go straight to waste. Set a minimum size so storekeepers do not argue about it.
How often should paper stock be counted?
Count fast-moving grades weekly and slow ones monthly. A short regular count finds mistakes while the jobs responsible are still fresh.