This reference describes the fields you will see on the Categories editor and the supporting tables (Category Parts, Page Limits, Page Folds, Page Colors, Finish Sizes, Field Rules, Conditional Steps, Category Pricing) under Estimate Setup → Products. Pricing rules, substrate eligibility, and quote-level adjustments are covered in their own clusters.
Fields on the category row
Field | What it controls | When to change this | What depends on it |
Category Name | The label the operator sees in the create-estimate category dropdown. | When the shop's product names change, or to disambiguate two similar categories (for example PUR Softback Books vs Hardback - Casebound Books). | Quote create flow visibility; quote letter category line; export field. |
Category Type | The imposition family — Flat, Folded, Bound, Repeat/Stack — that drives how Estimator sheets the job. | When you add a category that needs a different imposition shape than the template offers. Changing on an existing category will reshape every saved estimate on that category. | Sheet count, plate count, production-step grouping, the imposition algorithm Estimator runs. |
Default markups (six buckets) | Starting percentages for substrate, other material, labor, machine, delivery, and outwork costs on every quote that selects this category. | When you want the baseline margin on a category to differ from the tenant default — typically because the category's typical job mix has a different cost profile. | The pre-rule price on every quote in this category; pricing-rule starting point. |
Price Adjustment Model | Which margin metric the price breakdown emphasises on quotes in this category — Percentage, Fixed, Gross Profit %, VA%, or VA per Press Hour. | When sales coaches operators on a specific metric for a product family (for example VA per Press Hour for short-run digital). | Display of margin on the quote totals row; operator decision-making during quoting. |
Allow Same Size Sheet | When On, Estimator can use a finished sheet size as the press sheet on jobs where the layout has no bleed — typically for economy paths on Flat categories. | When the shop runs a no-bleed economy variant of the category and wants Estimator to consider that path. | Whether Estimator evaluates the no-bleed sheet route during route selection. |
Fields on the category part row
Field | What it controls | When to change this | What depends on it |
Part Name | Identifies the part inside the category — cover, inner, body, kit components. | When the category needs additional parts (for example adding cover to a previously single-part category). | Production Steps grouping on the price breakdown; substrate assignment per part. |
Production Steps | The ordered operations Estimator must route for this part — print, cut, fold, bind, laminate, and so on. | When the shop adds a step to the workflow for this part (for example adding laminate to a cover) or removes one that no longer applies. | Which machines Estimator picks; how many lines appear on the price breakdown; route comparison. |
Tags | Routing restriction at the part level — narrows which machines and substrates are eligible for this specific part. | When the same machine should be valid for one part but not another within the same category. | Machine and substrate matching for this part. |
Supporting reference tables
Table | What it controls | When to change this | What depends on it |
Finish Sizes | Allowed finished dimensions per category (A4, A5, custom). | When the shop accepts a new finished size on a category, or removes one. | Which sizes the operator can pick on the quote; the finished-size dropdown on create estimate. |
Page Limits | Minimum and maximum page counts per category. | When the shop sets new page-count rules for a product family. | Quote-time validation on page count; impositioning page-count check. |
Page Folds | Panel count and fold layout for folded products (tri-fold, gate fold, roll fold). | When the shop adds a new folded layout, or corrects an existing layout's panel count. | The flat sheet size Estimator computes for the fold price; Production Steps routing for folded categories. |
Page Colors | Per-section color presets (4/0, 4/4, spot). | When the shop adds a color option for a category. | Color-aware pricing and route choice; ink-cost line on the breakdown. |
Field Rules | Conditional visibility of options — for example, lamination coverage choices appear only when lamination is on. | When a new dependency between options is needed, or an existing rule is too broad. | Which fields the operator sees on the quote; option dependency tree. |
Conditional Steps | Optional add-ons (shrink-wrap, drilling) that ride a price model rather than the category's Production Steps. | When the shop adds an add-on that should be available on the quote but is not part of the mandatory route. | Which add-ons appear on the quote; whether the add-on has its own price line. |
Category Pricing | Category-level markup overrides where enabled. | When a category needs a different markup than the tenant default and a pricing rule would be too broad. | The pre-rule starting markup on the category. |
Notes on exceptions
Category Type changes on a live category reshape every saved estimate's imposition. Validate with a test estimate after the change.
Conditional Steps depend on a price model being assigned. If the price model is missing, the add-on will not appear on the quote even if the row exists in Conditional Steps.