Press Run Waste Calculator
Calculate total waste sheets for a print run including makeready, running waste, and finishing waste from folding and binding.
Inputs
Results
Total Waste
875 sheets
Total Sheets to Order
5,875 sheets
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter Run Quantity, Ink Colors, and Fold Complexity.
- Set Binding Waste (sheets) and Makeready Sheets per Color.
- Review Total Waste (sheets) and Total Sheets to Order (sheets).
- Use Makeready Waste (sheets) and Running Waste (sheets) to inform your decision.
- Use the chart to visualize the results and explore different scenarios by adjusting inputs.
How the result changes with Ink Colors
| Ink Colors | Total Waste | Total Sheets to Order |
|---|---|---|
| 1.7 | 473 sheets | 5,473 sheets |
| 3.45 | 778.5 sheets | 5,778.5 sheets |
| 5.55 | 1,146.5 sheets | 6,146.5 sheets |
| 7.3 | 1,453 sheets | 6,453 sheets |
What each input means
- Run Quantity
- Net good sheets required for the order.
- Ink Colors
- Number of ink colors (1=BW, 4=CMYK, 5+=CMYK+spots). Each color adds makeready.
- Fold Complexity
- 1 = no folds (flat), 2 = single fold, 3 = multi-fold (gate, roll, Z-fold).
- Binding Waste (sheets)
- Additional waste from binding/trimming. Typically 50-200 sheets.
- Makeready Sheets per Color
- Setup waste sheets per ink color. Digital: 50-100, offset: 100-300.
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input Parameters4 parametersRun Quantity = 5000, Ink Colors = 4, Fold Complexity = 1, Binding Waste (sheets) = 100 = 5 input(s) provided
- Calculate Total WasteTotal Waste875 = 875
- Calculate Total Sheets to OrderTotal Sheets to Order5875 = 5875
- Calculate Makeready WasteMakeready Waste600 = 600
- Calculate Running WasteRunning Waste175 = 175
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