How do you calculate plate cost for a print run?

Multiply the plates on the job by the imaging cost per plate and by the share charged to this run, then add the proofing charge. Six plates at 38 charged in full with 120 of proofing is 348, 58 a plate, the Plate Cost Amortization calculator's own example.

How should plates for repeat runs be charged?

Spread their imaging cost over the runs they will print: plates kept for four runs charge a quarter to each. Proofing is charged in full to the run it is for. If the label is dropped early, the share not yet charged is lost, so be realistic about the runs.

Why look at plate cost per 1,000 labels?

Plates cost the same for 5,000 labels as for 150,000, so short runs carry far more per label. In the example the seasonal promotion carries 96.80 per 1,000 labels and the vitamin label 0.17.

What is in the imaging cost per plate?

What it costs you to make one plate: material, imaging, processing and the trade house's charge if you buy plates in. Put each plate type on Setup with its own cost.

What does Below target mean here?

The plate charge billed to the customer is less than the plate cost charged to the run by more than the near band on Setup. The Unrecovered column gives the amount.

Does the workbook use macros?

No. It is a plain .xlsx with ordinary formulas, tables and native charts. The Verify sheet re-checks the formulas against fixed test jobs and shows Self-check: PASS.

Manufacturing Cost and Quoting

Plate Cost Amortization Excel Template

Plate cost charged to a run = plates × imaging cost per plate × share charged to the run + proofing. Give every print job a row, spread kept plates over the runs they will print, and see each job's plate cost per plate and per 1,000 labels against the plate charge billed to the customer.

Free, and a plain .xlsx with no macros to enable. A CSV with live formulas and a printed how-to guide come with it.

Overview

This plate cost amortization template is a working Excel workbook for label and packaging converters' estimators, prepress managers and customer service teams. Each print job is one row with its label, the plate type, the number of plates (usually one per colour or varnish), the runs the plates will print if they are kept for repeats, the proofing and colour-match charge, the run length and the plate charge billed to the customer; each plate type's imaging cost comes from Setup. The workbook charges each run its share of plate imaging plus its proofing, and gives the cost per plate, the cost per 1,000 labels and how much of it the plate charge billed does not cover. It ships with eight jobs at a fictional flexo label converter, so every tile and chart is filled in when you open it.

In the example a new craft beer label needs six plates at 38 and 120 of proofing: 348, 58 a plate and 13.92 per 1,000 of its 25,000 labels, covered by a 350 plate charge. A hand cream label reprints on plates kept for four runs, so this run carries a quarter of the imaging, 47.50. An eight-colour seasonal promotion of 5,000 labels costs 484 in plates, 96.80 per 1,000, against a flat 300 quoted: 184 not recovered. Across the eight jobs plates cost 1,774 and customers were billed 1,550.

Spreading plates over repeat runs only holds if the runs happen. Plate storage, cleaning and remakes are not included. The download is a plain .xlsx with no macros. A CSV with live formulas is also included for other tools; the dashboard, charts, dropdowns and self-check are in the .xlsx.

What this template includes

Setup sheet with your company, currency and near band, and the plate types with their imaging cost per plate
Jobs table, one row per job: label, plate type, plates, runs to amortise over, proofing, run length and plate charge billed, with a Check column
Per job: share charged, plate imaging charged, plate cost charged, cost per plate, cost per 1,000 labels, the amount not recovered and a status in words
Dashboard with four tiles (jobs, plate cost charged, plate charges billed, cost not recovered), plate cost against the charge billed, plate cost per 1,000 labels, and the job table
Method sheet with every formula, and a Verify sheet that re-checks the formulas against an independent reference and the Plate Cost Amortization calculator (Self-check: PASS)
CSV with live formulas for the Jobs table; the dashboard, charts, dropdowns and self-check are in the .xlsx

Suggested use case

Use it to set plate charges on label quotes, to check that plate charges billed cover what plates cost, or to show a customer what a short run's plates add per 1,000 labels.

How to use it

On Setup, type your company and currency, the near band, and list your plate types with their imaging cost per plate.
On Jobs, give each job a row: label, plate type, plates, runs to amortise over, proofing charge, run length and the plate charge billed.
Fix anything the Check column names.
Open the Dashboard: plate cost against the charge billed, and plate cost per 1,000 labels.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you calculate plate cost for a print run?: Multiply the plates on the job by the imaging cost per plate and by the share charged to this run, then add the proofing charge. Six plates at 38 charged in full with 120 of proofing is 348, 58 a plate, the Plate Cost Amortization calculator's own example.
How should plates for repeat runs be charged?: Spread their imaging cost over the runs they will print: plates kept for four runs charge a quarter to each. Proofing is charged in full to the run it is for. If the label is dropped early, the share not yet charged is lost, so be realistic about the runs.
Why look at plate cost per 1,000 labels?: Plates cost the same for 5,000 labels as for 150,000, so short runs carry far more per label. In the example the seasonal promotion carries 96.80 per 1,000 labels and the vitamin label 0.17.
What is in the imaging cost per plate?: What it costs you to make one plate: material, imaging, processing and the trade house's charge if you buy plates in. Put each plate type on Setup with its own cost.
What does Below target mean here?: The plate charge billed to the customer is less than the plate cost charged to the run by more than the near band on Setup. The Unrecovered column gives the amount.
Does the workbook use macros?: No. It is a plain .xlsx with ordinary formulas, tables and native charts. The Verify sheet re-checks the formulas against fixed test jobs and shows Self-check: PASS.