Job Costing and Profit for Printing Presses

Each job’s estimate is set against what it actually used in paper, plates, machine time, outside work and labour. The owner can then see which kinds of job earn well and which do not.

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What goes into the actual cost

Paper used

Sheets issued, less sheets returned, at the rate the paper was bought for. Spoiled sheets stay in the cost.

Plates and consumables

Plates made for the job and the ink and chemicals charged to it by the rate your press sets.

Machine time

Hours booked on the offset or digital machine, taken from the stages that operators marked done, at the hourly rate that the owner has set for each machine.

Outside work and labour

Vendor charges for lamination or binding, and labour hours where the press records them.

Estimate against actual

A job closes. The estimate and the actual cost then sit side by side on one screen. A brochure that took more sheets than the estimate allowed for spoilage shows the difference. The owner sees which jobs ran over, and by how much sheet and time. Where it happened is clear. A pattern across many jobs tells the estimator which rate needs revising.

Profit by customer and by job type

Jobs can be grouped by customer or by type, such as wedding cards, bill books or catalogues. Owners compare what each group billed with what it cost. The comparison helps in deciding which work to chase, and which work to price higher the next time it is quoted.

What the figures depend on

A costing reflects only what has been entered against the job. Paper must be issued against the job, stages must be marked and vendor bills must be posted. Overheads such as rent and power are allocated only if the owner sets a rule for them. Otherwise they stay outside the costing.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Does it include overheads like rent and electricity?

Only if the owner sets a rule to spread them across machines or jobs. Many presses cost only direct items. They keep overheads separate, in their accounts.

Can costing be seen while the job is still running?

Yes. The cost so far is shown from the entries made. It grows as paper is issued and as each stage is marked done on the floor.

Will it change the rate we quote the next customer?

No. It shows where estimates and actuals differ. The press can change its own quoting rates, or ask us to do it.

Who can see job profit?

The roles the owner chooses, usually the owner and the manager. Counter staff and operators can be kept from seeing it.

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