Die-Cut Job Cost Calculator
Build a direct die-cut finishing cost before adding the printing/material cost elsewhere.
Work through the job in stages
Use the real values from your job. Optional fields can stay blank; zero should only be used when the value genuinely does not apply.
Paper bulk, grain and equipment can change the geometry
Booklet creep, fold compensation and spine thickness are physical-production estimates. Whenever a fold, bind, die or laminator controls the finished piece, record the actual stock caliper and the equipment/vendor specification rather than converting GSM to thickness by assumption.
What the result is useful for
Useful for separating finishing economics from print cost so a quote does not hide expensive postpress work.
How the calculation works
Total = fixed die/setup + machine minutes × hourly rate + labor minutes × hourly rate + finished quantity × per-piece finishing, with entered spoilage applied where appropriate.
What this calculator cannot know
Does not determine tooling design, stripping, blanking, makeready difficulty or machine suitability.