Partner tips
How to quote a print job without losing money
Price every job from the same short list of costs, add your margin last, and never quote from memory. A written cost sheet protects you from the jobs that look easy and are not.
Most print shops lose money on a job before the press starts: the quote left out a cost that only shows up on the shop floor. A repeatable cost sheet fixes that. Use the same lines for every job, even the small ones, and you will see which work pays.
The cost lines
- Stock: the paper or board, priced per sheet at the size you will run, not the finished size.
- Plates or clicks: plates and makeready for offset, the click charge for digital.
- Ink and coatings, including spot colours and varnish.
- Finishing: cutting, folding, creasing, binding, lamination, foil, die-cutting.
- Setup time: machine makeready and the operator time it takes.
- Waste: overs for setup and spoilage, which grow with the number of finishing steps.
- Packing and delivery: cartons, wrapping and transport to the customer.
Add margin last
Total the costs first, then add your margin as a separate line. Shops that build margin into each cost line lose track of what they actually earn. Keep the margin visible, so you know how far you can move when a customer pushes on price.
Quantity breaks
Setup costs the same whether you print 100 or 1,000. Show the customer two or three quantities, so they can see the unit price fall. It often turns a small order into a better one for both of you.
When to say no
Some jobs do not fit your presses: the wrong sheet size, a finish you would have to buy in, or a deadline that pushes other work aside. Decline those early and politely. A job you cannot do well costs more than the job you turned down.
Review your quotes once a month against what the jobs really cost. Where the numbers drift, fix the cost sheet, not the next quote.
Write the spec into the quote
Every quote should repeat the full spec: size, stock, colours, finishing, quantity, delivery date and what the price includes. When the customer approves the quote, they approve the spec too. If they change anything later, the written quote shows what the first price covered, and a fair new price is easy to explain.
Questions
Should I quote the same margin on every job?
No. Keep a standard margin, then adjust it for rush work, difficult finishes or repeat customers. Write the reason down so you can repeat the decision.
How do I price waste?
Add overs as a number of extra sheets per job and per finishing step, based on what your shop really spoils. Check it against real jobs every few months.
Is it fine to quote over the phone?
Give a range if you must, then send the written quote from your cost sheet. A written quote with the spec avoids arguments at delivery.