Welcome to Crouser Guide for Digital PrintingWhy this program rather than a printed book? Well, first, this program contains over 13,000 printed pages which would be impossible to provide in a printed book. Second, there are a number of interactive features which can only be done within a program (search, highlight, copy/paste, as well as move instantaneously between prices based on different papers, price levels and calculation methods). And third, we are able to provide you interim Internet updates that would not be feasible in book form. However, please note that all pages you select are printable by you should you choose. What is the Crouser Guide? The Crouser Guides provide Logical Selling Prices for commercial print providers based on a combination of cost plus and market value approaches. These price guides are ready to implement either as stand-alone pricing programs or as a guide in developing prices in your estimating system. Overview: following is a summary of issues and operations of this program. Should you wish more details about an issue or operation, click on the Drop Down menu in the top horizontal navigation bar and you may jump to the appropriate chapter.
![]() Support: Should that not answer your question, please feel free to contact support by emailing clark@crouser.com or call Clark Workman at (304) 965-7100 between the hours of 9 am and 4:30 pm Eastern time. How Prices are Established: Prices in this Guide are established based on market surveys of key price points and cost factors among printers throughout the United States and other public information available such as other surveys. This information is also updated throughout the year (to join our National Panel on Prices, Wages and Costs without cost or obligation, go to www.crouser.com). This information is then compared with the cost of manufacturing utilizing cost models we have developed and apply base markups which yield an adequate return on investment and effort based on typical costs. This forms a floor under which the retail price should not fall. Then we compare the market value with the cost plus approach and allow the suggested price to rise to market assuming market exceeds cost plus. If not, the cost plus value forms a floor for prices. Once armed with this information, we develop a rational price structure with variations for the cost of paper and second side pricing, for instance. For the long answer, see Chapter 5, How Prices Are Established under the Instruction Tab of the main program.
To use the Guide:Step 1: Tabs—Select a category of your choice from among the tabs indicating the imaging types such as 8.5x11 text/offset (coated and uncoated) or 12x18 card/cover (coated or uncoated).
![]() Step 2: Choose Paper Cost—select the paper cost (without markups) of the stock you are imaging from the drop down menu.
Specific Help ChaptersPlease consult the following chapters in the Drop Down Chapter Menus for more details on the following subjects
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