Print estimating - Guillotining calculation

Other print estimating systems base their guillotining costs on a formula which uses pile height, the number of cuts, whether they are single or double cuts, etc., to calculate the cost of cutting the job. This ensures that the guillotining calculation, which seldom makes up more than a few percent of the total estimated cost, is the most complex in print estimating!

This method, however, is probably as inaccurate as it is complex. Consider the following:

  • The cutting pile height is generally calculated using the gsm of the paper, which is not directly related to the thickness of the paper - 300gsm packaging board is much thicker than 300gsm gloss coated paper.
  • The complexity of the artwork, which often prevents the operator from cutting the maximum pile height that the guillotine can handle, is not taken into account.
  • The variation in jogging time for different types of paper is also not factored into the calculation - 80gsm coated stock takes much longer to jog than 80gsm bond stock.

Because you seldom have all these variables at your fingertips, QuickEasy opts for a simple formula based on the preparation time and the cutting speed of the job. The cutting speed is based on actual speeds measured in your factory and you can of course link different cutting services to different products.

Next, QuickEasy BOS provides the job tracking functionality to measure your actual production times and compare them to what you estimated. This means you will be estimating with the confidence of knowing exactly what your actual costs are.


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