Printing Job Quote Calculator

Work out printing job quote instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Printing Job Quote Calculator

Print quoting is dominated by the setup-to-run ratio. Because plates and make-ready are fixed, unit cost falls steeply with quantity — which is why a doubling of quantity rarely doubles the price and why very short runs are best done digitally.

Formulas

Running cost

Running = Quantity / 1,000 x Cost per thousand impressions

Quote price

Price = (Setup + Running cost) / (1 - Target margin %)

Worked example

With the default values below, Printing Job Quote Calculator returns Quote price of $11,617.65. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Quantity to print: 5,000
Plate and setup cost: 4,500
Cost per thousand impressions: 680
Target margin: 32

Results

Quote price: $11,617.65
Price per unit: $2.3235
Running cost: $3,400.00
Setup share of total cost: 56.96%

Step by step

1Values used
2Running cost
3Quote price
4Quote price= 11,617.65
5Price per unit= 2.3235
6Running cost= 3,400.00
7Setup share of total cost= 56.96

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 4 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should a job go digital rather than litho?

When the setup cost dominates — usually below one to two thousand impressions, depending on plate cost and substrate.

Why quote a run-on rate?

Because the marginal cost of extra copies excludes setup, so customers can add quantity cheaply if they decide before the plates come off.