How do I check a print shop’s quoting spreadsheets before buying?

A quoting spreadsheet is the shop’s pricing brain, so treat it as a core document. Open the formulas rather than just reading the totals. Look for numbers typed over formulas, hidden sheets, old supplier prices and unexplained discounts. Ask who maintains the file and whether anyone other than the owner understands it. Ask for earlier versions too, to see how the pricing logic has changed.

Now test it with real jobs. Pick a handful of completed orders, of different sizes and types. Take the quote, then add up the actual paper, ink, outside services, press time and labour. Where the two differ regularly, the quote model is wrong, and the shop’s profit may be smaller than it looks.

Also ask how often prices are updated and how customers are told. Do large accounts have special rates that sit outside the sheet? Are rush charges applied consistently? Finally, ask whether the file would still work after the owner leaves. If knowledge lives in one person’s head, request a walkthrough and notes as part of the handover. Also ask whether the sheet is backed up and where it is stored, because a single copy on one computer is a risk of its own.

Key takeaways

• Open the formulas and look for typed-over numbers and hidden sheets.
• Test quotes against the real cost of finished jobs.
• Ask whether anyone besides the owner understands the file.
• Ask for a walkthrough of one quote from request to invoice.