Print Estimating Software and its Importance in a Print Business

Abhishek Agarwal
3 min readMay 10, 2024

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Print estimating software plays a crucial role in the success and efficiency of a print business. It’s a specialized tool designed to help print shops accurately determine the cost of producing print materials such as flyers, banners, labels, and more, manage pricing, improve accuracy, and save time by reducing errors.

The primary goal of this software is to provide reliable cost estimates that enable print businesses to price their print orders competitively.

Here’s a more detailed explanation of the importance of print estimating software and how the right software can streamline operations, improve accuracy, and enhance profitability:

Accurate Cost Estimations

It calculates the precise cost of a print work including material costs, labor, machine usage, overhead, and other relevant expenses which are essential for setting competitive prices and ensuring profitability.

Competitive Pricing

Print estimating solution helps businesses stay competitive by allowing them to adjust pricing strategies based on market conditions, material costs, and production efficiency. As pricing too high can lead to lost business, while pricing too low can erode profits, accurate cost estimates enable businesses to stay competitive while still yielding a profit.

Efficient Workflow

Integrated estimating software can be linked to other systems, such as order management and production scheduling to streamline the workflow by automating various calculations and processes. It reduces the time and effort required to generate estimates, eliminates the need for manual data entry, and ensures seamless coordination between departments, thereby allowing employees to focus on other critical tasks.

Customer Satisfaction

Timely and accurate quotes, along with efficient production, contribute to improved customer satisfaction. Happy customers are more likely to return and recommend your printing companies to others.

Reduced Errors & Wastes

Manual calculations can lead to errors, which can result in lost revenue or unhappy customers. Print estimating software minimizes the risk of errors by automating calculations and ensuring consistency in pricing. It also reduces the likelihood of overordering materials or producing excess inventory, which can result in wasted resources.

Data Analysis & Reporting

Print estimating software often stores historical data on previous jobs and generates valuable data that can be used to analyze trends, customer preferences, and production efficiency. Such a data-driven approach can lead to better decision-making and improved business strategies.

Quicker Quotes

With the ability to generate quotes rapidly, print estimating software can help win more business. Customers often appreciate the quick turnaround on price quotes which can be a deciding factor in securing orders.

Inventory Management

Some print estimating software helps businesses keep track of paper, ink, and other supplies, ensuring that materials are ordered in a timely manner and reducing the risk of production delays.

Customization and Scalability

Print estimating software can be customized to match the specific needs and processes of a printing business, whether it’s a small local print shop or a large commercial printer, and as a printing company grows, the software can scale, accommodating increasing complexity and volume.

Profit Margin Control

Print estimating software allows businesses to analyze the profitability of different jobs or clients. They can make informed decisions about which jobs to accept and which to decline based on their profitability goals.

Cost Reduction -

By accurately estimating costs and optimizing resource allocation, print owners can identify areas where costs can be reduced. This can lead to higher margins and increased competitiveness.

Real-time Data

Some advanced software can integrate with other systems to provide up-to-date information on material costs and availability.

Hence proved that investing in such software can be a strategic decision for any printing companies looking to thrive in a competitive market. Now that you are convinced how important print estimating software is for an online print shop to flourish, the following are the top % ones you can rely upon for your print business.

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Abhishek Agarwal
Abhishek Agarwal

Written by Abhishek Agarwal

Abhishek Agarwal, CMO & Co-Founder of Design’N’Buy, Mobicommerce & OhoShop, comes with more than 14 years of experience in Web-to-Print & IT.