Why this feature exists
Print shops often buy paper in large parent sheets — for example, B1 (1000×700mm) — and cut them down to whatever size a job requires: A3, A4, SRA3, and so on. Cut-to-Size lets you reflect this in GelatoConnect exactly as it works in your shop: you list the sheets you actually buy, configure how they can be cut, and the system handles yield calculation, waste tracking, and cutting costs automatically.
How it works
You mark a substrate as a parent sheet and define which smaller sizes it can be cut to. The system automatically calculates:
Yield — how many child sheets fit on one parent (e.g. 4× SRA3 from one B1)
Waste % — how much of the parent sheet is unused after cutting (e.g. 18.5%)
When a job needs a size that isn't directly in your substrate list, the estimator checks whether any parent sheet can be cut to that size. If it can, it selects the best option by cost, and automatically inserts a Pre-Cut step into the job — so the cutting operation is visible and costed, rather than hidden inside the substrate price.
Both approaches — directly stocked sheets and cut-from-parent sheets — work side by side. If you stock some A3 sheets directly and can also cut A3 from B1, the estimator will consider both and pick the cheaper option for that job.
Step 1 — Register your guillotine in the Machine Park
Before setting up any cut sizes, you need your guillotine registered as a machine.
Go to Finishing Machines and add a new machine of type Guillotine (under the Cut category).
Fill in the cost fields:
Make Ready Minutes
Machine Rate Per Hour
Cuts Per Hour
These values feed directly into the pre-cut cost that appears on every estimate using a cut-to-size substrate.
Step 2 — Mark a substrate as a parent sheet
Go to Substrates and open the sheet you want to configure as a parent (e.g. your B1 stock).
Scroll to the Cut-to-Size section and enable the "Available as parent sheet" toggle.
Select which guillotine machine should handle cutting for this substrate.
Step 3 — Add cut sizes
Click Add cut size.
Enter the target dimensions (width × height) for the cut sheet.
The system will automatically calculate how many of that size fit onto the parent, and what percentage of the parent sheet is wasted. For example: 4× SRA3 from a B1, with 18.5% waste.
If your real-world cutting setup gives a different yield — due to grip margins, grain direction, or equipment constraints — you can enter a manual yield override.
Click Add to confirm, then repeat for any other sizes this parent can be cut to.
On grain direction: if your jobs have grain direction requirements, make sure to account for this when configuring cut sizes, as the orientation of the cut determines the grain of the child sheet.
Note: Cut sizes are configured with custom dimensions directly on the substrate — they are not selected from a standard sizes catalogue.
What happens at estimation time
When the estimator runs a job that needs a sheet size not directly in your substrate list:
It looks for parent sheets with a matching cut size configured.
It selects the most cost-effective parent + cut combination (factoring in paper cost, yield, and cutting cost).
It automatically inserts a Pre-Cut step before the print step, visible in the production workflow.
The price breakdown shows the cutting cost as its own line item — setup cost plus run cost — and notes which parent sheet was used and at what yield (e.g. "sourced from B1 – 4× per parent").
The pre-cut cost is calculated per job. Cutting cost is never baked silently into the substrate price.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to create separate inventory entries for each cut size?
No — that's exactly what this feature replaces. You only list what you physically buy, and the system derives availability and cost for cut sizes automatically.
Can I override the calculated yield?
Yes. If your real cutting setup gives fewer sheets per parent due to grip margins, grain constraints, or machine limitations, enter a manual yield override when adding the cut size.
What if I also stock a cut size directly as its own substrate?
Both options coexist. The estimator considers directly-stocked sheets and cut-from-parent sheets and picks the cheapest available option for the job.
What if multiple parent sheets can produce the same cut size?
The estimator ranks all compatible parent + cut combinations by cost and selects the best one. The same logic it uses for direct sheet matching.
Is the pre-cut step mandatory?
It's auto-inserted whenever a job uses a cut-to-size substrate, but it can be removed or overridden per job if needed.