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What Your Printer Needs From You to Quote a Job Accurately

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By Kyle O'Neill

An accurate print quote needs eight things from you: what the item is, how many, the finished size, colour, the paper stock and weight, any finishing, where your artwork stands, and how the job gets to you. Give your printer those up front and the quote describes the job you actually want. Leave one out and the quote is a guess, or it comes back with questions before anyone can start.

Here’s what each detail means, why it changes the price, and what to send with your enquiry. Or go straight to the job ticket and fill it in.

Why does a print quote need so much detail?

Every detail on a quote changes how the job runs. Quantity, turnaround time, paper stock and how the material will be used decide whether it is printed digitally or on an offset press. Paper weight changes the cost of the stock and how it folds. A booklet needs pages counted and a binding chosen. Artwork that still needs designing adds hours before anything is printed.

Digital or offset?Quantity, turnaround, paper stock and how it will be used decide it.
Cost per copyQuantityDigitalOffsetshape only, no figures
DigitalNo plates, so setup is quickerOffsetPlates and ink
QuantitySmall to medium runsMore economical as quantities rise: cost per copy drops once setup is done
TurnaroundFaster, and takes last-minute changesMore preparation, suits jobs planned and finalised ahead
Paper stockMuch improved, though some papers still suit offset betterA wider range, including thicker, textured and specialty stocks
How it’s usedNames or numbering that change on each copyColour held consistent across long runs, for brand sensitive work
Which press suits the job. Summarised from our guide, Choosing Between Offset and Digital Printing for Bulk Runs. The curve shows a shape, not prices.

When those details are missing, a printer has to assume. Assumptions are where a quote and the final invoice drift apart.

The eight details every quote needs

A sample job, an A5 flyer proof, with eight numbered proof marks: 1 the flyer itself, 2 the stack of copies behind it, 3 its trimmed size of 148 by 210 mm, 4 the colour bar, 5 the lifted corner of the sheet, 6 the gloss finish, 7 the crop marks and bleed, 8 a carton for delivery. 148 mm 210 mm 12345678
  1. 1What it isA5 flyer for a letterbox drop
  2. 2How many250, 500 and 1,000 side by side, if unsure (our suggestion)
  3. 3Finished sizeTrimmed A5: 148 x 210 mm
  4. 4Colour and sidesFull colour CMYK or black and white. Single or double sided
  5. 5Stock and weightGloss, matt or uncoated. 80 to 350 gsm, or unsure
  6. 6FinishingCelloglaze, folding, stapling, spot UV, or none
  7. 7ArtworkSupplied as a PDF with crop marks and 3 mm bleed
  8. 8DeliveryPickup, or the full address
The eight details, marked up on a sample job. Our illustration of an A5 flyer. The options in the key are from our two quote forms, apart from the quantity suggestion.

1. What the item is

Name the product: business cards, flyers or brochures, booklets or catalogues, presentation folders, docket books, invitations, letterheads and with comps, training manuals, annual reports or safety material. For signage, name the material: pull up banners, stickers and labels, corflute or Alupanel signs, vinyl or teardrop banners, posters, A frames, magnets, fence mesh or vehicle signage.

A short description helps too. “A5 flyer for a letterbox drop” tells a printer more than “flyers”.

2. How many

Digital printing suits short runs, and offset becomes more economical as quantities rise, because the cost of each copy drops once the press is set up.

If you’re unsure, ask for two or three quantities on the same quote. Seeing 250, 500 and 1,000 side by side often changes the decision.

3. Finished size

Give the size the job will be once trimmed, such as A4, A5 or DL, not the size of your artwork file. For booklets, include the number of pages. For signs, give the width and height, and how many different designs are in the order.

4. Colour and sides

Full colour (CMYK) or black and white, and single-sided or double-sided. A booklet is its own case, so say so.

5. Paper stock and weight

Stock is the finish of the paper: gloss, matt or uncoated. Weight is measured in gsm, and our quote form runs from 80 gsm to 350 gsm: the higher the number, the heavier and stiffer the sheet. If you don’t know, say “unsure” and describe the feel you want. A good printer will recommend a stock rather than guess.

For signs and banners, say whether the item will be used indoors or outdoors. That decides the material and whether it needs laminating.

6. Finishing

Finishing is everything that happens after printing, and each step adds time and cost. Common options include gloss or matt celloglaze, folding, stapling, hole punching, and spot UV or Scodix. Booklets need a binding: saddle stitched (stapled), perfect bound, plastic comb or spiral. Signs might need laminating or eyelets for hanging.

If you don’t need any extra finishing, say that too. It’s one less thing to assume.

Saddle stitch (stapled)
Perfect bound
Plastic comb bound
Spiral bound
The four booklet bindings on our quote form, seen end on. Our illustration, not to scale.

7. Where your artwork is at

Your printer needs to know which of these applies:

  • Supplied: your artwork is finished and ready to print.
  • To be created: you need a designer to build it from scratch.
  • Reorder: an exact repeat of a previous job.
  • Reorder with changes: the same job with new details, such as a new phone number or staff name.

If you’re supplying artwork, Jennings Print accepts a high-resolution PDF with crop marks and 3 mm bleed. Bleed is the extra margin of artwork past the trim line, and without it a job can end up with a thin white edge. Our guide to what bleed is and why it matters explains how to set it up, including why large-format work often needs more.

The top left corner of an A5 flyer, enlarged to scale. The artwork runs 3 mm past the trim line into the bleed, and the text sits 3 mm inside the trim, 6 mm in all from the edge of the artwork. Crop marks in the margin show where to cut. The cut can land 1 to 2 mm off the line. Crop marks Bleed 3 mm Safe zone 3 mm Your phone number stays inside thesafe zone

With 3 mm bleed, a cut that lands 2 mm off still lands in colour.

  • Bleed edge: artwork runs out to here
  • Trim line: where the cut should land
  • Where the cut can land: 1 to 2 mm off
  • Trimmed off when the cut drifts outward
  • Safe zone: keep text inside

Bleed at the same scale

3 mm most print jobs5 mm10 mmbanners and wideformat signs oftenneed 5 to 10 mm
Bleed, trim and safe zone, drawn to scale. The figures are from our guide, What Is Bleed and Why Does It Matter in Print Design?: 3 mm of bleed, a 3 mm safe zone, and a cut that can land 1 to 2 mm off. An A5 file with bleed is set up at 154 x 216 mm.

8. Delivery

Will you pick the job up, or does it need delivering? If it’s delivered, give the full address. For a job going to several sites, list them all.

The details people forget

These rarely appear on a form, but they’re what separate a smooth job from a rushed one. Add them to the notes field.

  • Your deadline. The date you need the job in hand, not the date you’d like it printed. Say whether it’s fixed, such as an event or a launch.
  • What it’s for. A menu that gets handled daily needs a different stock to a flyer that gets read once.
  • Brand colours. If a colour has to match your logo exactly, say so and supply the reference. Colours look different on screen and on paper.
  • Anything unusual. An odd size, a die cut, numbering or names that change on each copy.

Build your quote brief

Use the job ticket below to put the eight details in one place, then copy it into our quote form or email it to us. Every option comes from our two quote forms, except the deadline lines, which go in Notes.

Your job ticket

Fill in what you know. Each of the eight details comes into register as you answer it. Anything left blank shows as a question. Nothing is sent from this page.

Send us these eight details with your quote request:

  1. What the item is
  2. How many
  3. Finished size
  4. Colour and sides
  5. Paper stock and weight (signs: indoor or outdoor)
  6. Finishing
  7. Where your artwork is at
  8. Pickup or delivery
Job ticketOffset printing quote
Email itOpen the quote form

Every option comes from our two quote forms, in the same order, so you can copy each line straight across. The deadline lines go in Notes. The forms take an artwork file up to 100 MB.

Send it to us

Choose the form that fits your job. Booklets, stationery, flyers and other printed items go through the offset printing quote form. Banners, signs, stickers and vehicle signage go through the wide format quote form. Both take an artwork file up to 100 MB.

Not sure what you need? Call us on 02 4933 5735 or email admin@jenningsprint.com.au. Tell us what the job is for, and we’ll help fill in the rest.

About the Author

Kyle O'Neill

Kyle O'Neill is part of the team at Jennings Print, a Newcastle-based printing company specialising in custom calendars, business stationery, signage, and commercial print for businesses across the Hunter Valley and NSW.

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