Use this article when you are validating a quote against the shop's reference, or when an estimator is disputing a line and you need to confirm the make-ready, run, and markup math came out as configured. After this you will have read each step's detail rows and the bucket markup summary closely enough to know whether the divergence (if any) is in production setup, in the price model, or in pricing setup.
Before you begin
The Estimation breakdown modal is open on a calculated quote. Use Open and review price breakdown lines first if it is not.
You have a reference for the lines being reviewed — operator-log times for make-ready and run, or the shop's expected markup percentages.
1. Expand the Print step
In the selected route column, expand the Print step. Read the detail rows below.
Make-ready detail
Make-ready cost — the setup charge for the press before the run begins. Computed as configured make-ready time × machine rate per hour, plus any labour. The number should agree with
press make-ready time × machine rate per hour, e.g., 0.5 h × €190/h = €95.00 on XL105.Make-ready labour cost — the labour portion of make-ready, when the press has a separate labour rate from the machine rate. Compare to operator-log values.
Plate cost — the cost of the plates for this step. Computed as plates × cost per plate. Only present on plate-based presses (offset). Example: 8 plates × €8.50 = €68.00 on XL105.
Run detail
Run cost — the press time for the run. Computed as
(quantity / running speed) × machine rate per hour. Example: 5,000 sheets / 13,000 sheets per hour × €190/h ≈ €73.08.Overs — the spoilage on top of the order quantity. Computed from the configured spoilage percentage and shown as a count.
Substrate cost — the cost of the paper for the run. Computed from sheet count × sheet area × substrate price. Cross-check against the substrates configuration for the sheet price.
If a row diverges from the operator-log expectation, the fix is in the press configuration — open Estimate Setup → Print Machines and read the press row. If only the substrate line is off, open the substrate row instead.
The line totals add up to the Print step total visible on the step row above.
2. Expand the Cut, Fold, and Bind steps
Each finishing step has its own detail rows. The shape depends on the step.
Cut step detail
Make-ready cuts — the count of cuts the cutter performs to prepare the press sheet for the finished piece, set by the cutter's pretrim configuration.
Sheet cuts — the count of cuts on the run portion.
Cuts per hour — the cutter's configured running speed. The run portion of the step cost is
total cuts / cuts per hour × machine rate per hour. Example: 200 cuts / 170 cuts per hour × €60/h ≈ €70.59 on Guillotine 1.
Fold step detail
Make-ready time and Run time — split visible on the row when the folder has separate values.
Sheets per hour — the folder's running speed. Example: 3,300 sheets per hour on Folder 1.
Bind step detail
Make-ready and Run rows, with the binder's setup time and running speed in books per hour. Example: 3,000 books per hour on Stitcher 1.
If the time on a finishing row diverges, open the corresponding machine row in Estimate Setup → Finishing Machines (or Binding Machines) and read the setup time and running speed. The numbers in the breakdown should match the configured row × the quote's quantity.
3. Read the bucket markup summary
Scroll past the step detail rows to the bucket-markup section. Read each row:
Substrate, Other Material, Labor, Machine, Outwork, Delivery — each shows the markup percentage applied and the resulting cost addition.
The percentages should match the category's configured bucket markups unless a pricing rule nudged one of them — in which case the Pricing rules applied footer names the rule.
The adjustment-model headline row — VA %, VA per Press Hour, or Gross Profit % — shows the target Estimator hit when rolling the marked-up buckets into the final price. The headline figure should sit in the range the finance lead expects for this category.
The final price on the totals row is the sum of marked-up bucket totals + rebate gross-up + any quote-level adjustment.
4. Document deviations against the shop reference
During validation, record on the comparison matrix:
The step name where divergence first appears.
The detail row whose value disagrees with the reference.
The percentage difference between Estimator and the reference.
The step name points at which setup layer to fix. A divergence on make-ready or run rows is a production-setup issue (press or finishing-machine configuration). A divergence on the bucket-markup rows is a pricing-setup issue (the category's bucket markups or a pricing rule). See Why a pricing rule did not apply for the pricing-rule audit path and Setup validation checklist for the per-category sign-off form.
The Final price is unchanged; reviewing the breakdown is read-only.
Things to know
A make-ready row that reads zero on a step that should have one usually means the step's price model or machine configuration has a blank setup field — open the row in Estimate Setup and read the setup-time and setup-cost values.
A run row that reads much higher than expected on a digital press is usually a click-rate mistake — read the press's CMY click rate in Print Machines configuration.
Markup rows that show 0% are not necessarily wrong — the Delivery bucket is commonly configured at 0% when freight is at-cost. Compare to the category's configured bucket markups before treating a zero as a defect.