Costing & FinanceFree calculatorPDF, Excel, Word exportPackaging and Printing

Offset Press Job Time and Hourly Rate Cost Calculator

A press is rated at a headline speed but rarely runs at it. This calculator uses effective speed plus makeready and wash-up to give honest job hours and cost, and shows how run length changes cost per thousand.

Your numbers

Sheets per pass

12,000 sheets

Press passes

Rated press speed

sheets/hr

Running speed efficiency

75 %

Actual average running speed as a share of rated speed.

Makeready time per pass

min

Wash-up time per pass

min

Press hourly rate

per hour

Machine plus labour and overhead.

Your results

Total press hours

3 hrs

Press cost

$322

Effective running speed

7,500

Sheets per hour while running.

Running hours

1.6

Makeready and wash-up hours

1.0833

Cost per 1000 sheets

$27

Overall sheets per hour

4,472

Includes setup. This is the number to schedule with.

Planning estimate. Use measured speeds and setup times for your presses and job types.

Save results:

Cost per 1000 sheets vs run length

Sweeps Sheets per pass from 1000 to 40000, holding your other inputs fixed.

Estimating rates from real data

Optional review of how to derive press speeds and rates from MES and ERP records.

Optional. The tool and every export work without this. No spam.

How to use it

Enter the sheets per pass, number of passes, rated speed and running efficiency. Add makeready and wash-up per pass and your hourly rate. The calculator returns running hours, setup hours, total hours, press cost, cost per thousand and overall sheets per hour. Use the overall figure when scheduling, because it includes the time the press is not printing.

The method

Effective speed is rated speed times running efficiency. Running hours equal sheets times passes divided by effective speed. Setup hours equal passes times makeready plus wash-up minutes divided by 60. Total hours are the sum, and cost is hours times the hourly rate. Cost per thousand falls as quantity grows because the fixed setup time is spread across more sheets.

Effective speed = rated x efficiency
Run hours = sheets x passes / effective speed
Setup hours = passes x (makeready + wash-up) / 60
Cost per 1000 = cost / sheets x 1000

Common mistakes

Using the rated speed instead of actual produces schedules that slip every day. Forgetting that a separate back pass doubles setup is another. Hourly rates should be built from actual press cost, labour crew and overhead absorption; if you copy a competitor rate you may underprice. Review actual run speeds from press counters or MES, not from operator memory.

Use measured efficiency by job type
Count each pass as a separate setup
Include wash-ups for colour changes
Rebuild the hourly rate yearly

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a realistic running efficiency?

It depends on job mix, paper and crew. Many plants see well below rated speed on short or difficult jobs. Use press counter data to find your real average rather than guessing.

How do I build an hourly rate?

Add depreciation or lease, labour for the crew, maintenance, utilities, space and overhead, then divide by productive hours rather than calendar hours. That gives a rate that covers idle time too.

Does the result include paper cost?

No. It covers press time only. Add paper, ink, plates, finishing and delivery separately. The makeready and spoilage calculator estimates the stock side.

Why is overall speed so much lower than rated?

Setup is fixed per job and the press runs below rated speed on average. Short jobs especially are dominated by makeready, so overall sheets per hour can be a fraction of the headline number.

If press counters and downtime are already in your MES or ERP, we can help turn them into estimating rates automatically.

Talk to an Expert Explore More Free Tools

Related Tools

Discrete Manufacturing

More Costing & Finance tools

See all

Back to All Tools