Estimates and Quotations for Printing Press Jobs

The estimate module turns a printing enquiry into a priced quote from size, quantity, paper, colours and finishing. Revisions stay against the same quote, so the counter can see what was last offered.

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What an estimate is built from

A customer asks for five thousand brochures or a few hundred bill books. The estimator enters the finished size, the quantity, the paper and GSM, the number of colours and the finishing.

Paper and sheets

The finished size and quantity decide how many sheets of which paper are needed. Spoilage allowance is added using the figure your press keeps for that kind of job.

Plates and press time

Plates are counted by colours and forms, and press time is taken from the machine the job is expected to run on, offset or digital, at that machine’s rate.

Finishing and outside work

Cutting, folding, creasing, lamination, binding and any outside unit each add a line to the estimate, and an outside unit shows the rate that vendor charges for the work.

Margin and the quoted rate

Your own margin rule is applied last. The cost build-up and the rate that goes to the customer are both on one screen, so a rate can be checked before it goes out.

Quotes that can be revised

Customers ask for another quantity, a lighter paper or a different finish. Each change is saved as a new version of the same quote. Nothing is overwritten. So the counter can compare what was offered on Monday with what was offered on Thursday.

From quote to job card

When the customer accepts, the estimate converts into a job card with its specification and rate already filled in. No second entry is needed at the counter. Rejected and lapsed quotes stay on record. The counter can then see which kinds of job are being won, and which are being lost to another press.

What the press decides

The paper rates, plate rates and press-time rates used for each machine
How spoilage is allowed for on short and long runs
Who may change the margin or give a discount on a quote
Whether quotes go out as a printout, a PDF or a WhatsApp message
How long a quoted rate is kept open for the customer

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can one enquiry have several quantity options?

Yes. Pricing the same job at more than one quantity on a single quote, and the customer’s choice carries into the job card.

Who sets the rates the estimate uses?

The press does. Paper, plate, press-time and finishing rates are entered during set-up and changed by our team when your costs change.

Does the system quote from a paper merchant’s live price?

No. Rates are the ones you enter. A merchant’s price list can be loaded as a rate table if you want the estimate to follow it.

Will a lost quote be deleted?

No. Lapsed and rejected quotes stay on record with their versions, so the history of that customer’s enquiries is intact.

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