Use this article when an estimator needs to turn a single-product RFQ into a saved, priced quote. After this you will have produced a calculated quote whose total, route, and breakdown match the customer's spec, and you will know which fields to change later if the spec is revised.
Steps
1. Open the Estimates list and start a new estimate
Open Estimates from the workspace sidebar. The list shows recent quotes. Click Create new estimate to start a blank quote, or click an existing draft row to keep editing one.
A blank quote opens with the spec form on the left and the totals panel on the right. The totals stay empty until you run Calculate.
2. Pick the product category and fill in the spec
Pick the Product category that matches the job (for example, Folded Leaflets, Stitched Book, Notepads). The form shows only the fields that apply to the chosen category — flat-sheet categories hide binding fields, bound categories show signature and page-count fields, and so on.
Spec fields the form prompts for
Quantity — total finished count. Example values: 250, 500, 2,500, 10,000. The form accepts a single number or, when the category is configured for a quantity range, a comma-separated list to price several runs in one quote.
Finished size — width and height of the trimmed piece. Pick from the configured size presets (A4, A5, DL, US Letter), or enter a custom size such as 210 mm x 297 mm or 8.5 in x 11 in.
Substrate — choose from the rows configured in the substrate table for the category. The dropdown shows the substrate's display name (for example SRA1); hover or open the row to confirm the weight and coat.
Colours — sides and ink count, written as 4/4, 4/0, 1/1, and so on.
Finishing — category-specific fields such as fold style, binding type, drilling, score, and laminate. Each option exposes its own sub-fields when selected.
Three ways to enter the spec
Type into the form — fastest for repeat specs you know by heart.
Paste customer text into the AI chat — useful when the RFQ is in an email and you want the chat to parse out quantity, size, substrate, and finishing.
Upload a PDF or screenshot to the AI chat — useful for visual RFQs or fixed customer templates.
Mix these freely on the same quote. The chat writes to the same fields the form does, so you can paste a spec, then tune one field manually before calculating.
3. Calculate the quote
Click Calculate. Estimator returns one or more priced options when the spec is complete enough to run. Each option is a complete route — a press selection, finishing sequence, and substrate sheet plan with its own total.
If the calculation fails, the form shows which field needs attention or where a configuration gap is blocking the route. Fix the spec or revisit Estimate Setup before retrying.
4. Review the options and select one
Compare the option totals in the totals panel. Click an option to select it — the selected option drives the quote total the customer will see and the route production will follow.
Click See price breakdown to open the Estimation breakdown modal and read the step-by-step costs: substrate, make-ready, run, finishing, markups, delivery, and any applied rebate.
5. Add finishing add-ons if the spec requires them
Scroll the spec form to Additional Options. This section lists finishing operations the category exposes as optional — shrink-wrap, drilling, poly-bagging, eyelets, and similar. Pick the ones the customer asked for.
Add-ons that exist in setup but are hidden by default show under Show more. If the add-on the customer wants is not listed at all, the operation does not exist on this category — leave the quote and ask the shop owner to configure it in Estimate Setup before continuing.
6. Edit the spec and recalculate
To change any field after the first calculation, edit it in the form (or ask the chat to apply the change in plain language) and click Recalculate. Estimator re-runs the route selection and the cost calculation against the new spec.
For one-off charges that are not configured anywhere — a single supplier proof, a courier surcharge, a hand-finishing job — use Add Custom Cost. Pick the bucket the charge belongs to (material, labor, machine, delivery, or outwork) and the breakdown will show it as a separate line.
7. Save the quote
When the total, the route, and the breakdown match what you expect, save the quote. The quote stays editable until you export it or hand it off.
Things to know
Chat edits and form edits hit the same quote. A change made in the chat updates the form fields, and vice versa. Pick whichever path is faster for the edit you have to make.
The selected option is the one that exports. The non-selected options stay attached to the quote for reference, but the quote letter, the MIS export, and the production handoff all read from the option you clicked.
Add Custom Cost is for one-offs only. If the same charge applies to many quotes (a standard packaging line, a recurring outwork), add it to Estimate Setup so every future quote picks it up automatically.