Printing, Labels & Industrial Converting worked example

Print Run Cost at 68% good-copy yield: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop good-copy yield to 68%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Estimate the total cost of a press run including stock, ink, spoilage, and the flat makeready charge.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Sheets or impressions: 25,000 impressions (held at the documented default)
  • Paper and ink per impression: 0.05 $/impression (held at the documented default)
  • Good-copy yield: 68 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 95)
  • Makeready and plate charge: 650 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Total run cost = impressions x paper+ink/impression x good-copy yield% + makeready charge.
  • Total print run cost works out to 1,415 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Print run cost per unit works out to 0.06 $ / piece at these inputs.
  • Variable print run cost works out to 765 $ at these inputs.
  • Fixed print run cost adder works out to 650 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where good-copy yield sits at 95% and the headline result is 1,719 $, this scenario comes in 17.67% below the baseline at 1,415 $.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to good-copy yield, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. It applies yield as a single multiplier and does not model per-color plate counts, wash-up time, or press speed separately, so long multi-color jobs may need a more detailed model.

Results at a glance

  • Total print run cost: 1,415 $ (headline result)
  • Print run cost per unit: 0.06 $ / piece
  • Variable print run cost: 765 $
  • Fixed print run cost adder: 650 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Print Run Cost calculator, set good-copy yield to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.