Printing

Estimated Quotes: Estimate Specifications

Your Account Manager can provide you with cost information at different stages of your project. The following information describes the two distinct types of cost projections–estimates and production quotes–and explains how to use this information in evaluating your project and budget.

Estimates

Often clients request estimates when a project is in its early planning stages. Printing projects have two major categories of costs: preparation of electronic files (design and desktop publishing) and actual printing and bindery costs. In general, when you request a printing estimate from your Account Manager, you will receive information about printing and bindery costs only. If your project involves design, desktop publishing and electronic prepress, editing, copywriting, or photography services, your Account Manager can provide separate estimated costs for these services, too.

Estimates primarily provide a potential range of costs and a way of evaluating alternative project parameters. You and your Account Manager will need to determine as many of the following specifications as possible when requesting a printing estimate; the estimate will be most accurate with a complete set of specifications.

• Quantity
• Dimensions
• Total number of pages
• Paper stock
• Color and number of inks
• Number of bleeds-solid areas of ink that extend beyond the edge of the page
• Possible problem areas such as screens or tight register requirements
• Special processes, such as folding, binding, diecutting, embossing, foil stamping
• Number and type of photographs and illustrations
• Delivery date
• Special packing and delivery requirements
• Quality level needed
• How the final piece will be used and distributed

Once this information is determined, your Account Manager will work with our production staff to develop an estimate of the final cost of your project. The production department uses these specifications to determine optimum paper sizes and quantities, select a printing press, and determine how to engineer your project to improve quality and lower costs. Any changes in your specifications could have a impact upon final costs, so a new estimate should be prepared if you wish to change any of the parameters listed above.

Other things to keep in mind as the project progresses:

• Materials costs are volatile, so estimates may change depending on those costs at the time the order is initiated.

• Any changes to the project after final page proofs are approved, such as on blueline or on press, will result in additional charges.

• Changes in any of the specifications, including the complexity of the design, could result in additional charges.

• Print schedules are based on bluelines being approved and returned within 48 hours from when your Account Manager

• receives them (unless other arrangements have been made). Any delay in returning the blueline, or changes, could affect both the schedule and resulting costs.

Production Quotes

Unlike estimates, production quotes are prepared only when final material is ready for production planning, engineering, and scheduling. A production quote is based on the job as presented. Because these quotes are based on actual materials and final specifications instead of descriptions or dummies, they are generally more accurate than estimates.

In general, however, we recommend that clients budget for a 10-15 percent contingency to allow for unavoidable and unanticipated delays or changes. As always, your best approach to avoiding extra costs is to plan your projects well in advance and to involve your Account Manager as early as possible in the process. If you are particularly concerned about the budget for any specific project, your Account Manager can work with you to help lower overall costs and to closely monitor project costs as they occur.

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