If there is one task that eats more time in a print shop than it should, it is quoting. A customer asks for a price on 500 business cards with spot UV. Another wants a large format banner at a custom size with grommets. A third needs a screen-printed t-shirt order with six colours across four sizes.
Each of these quotes involves multiple variables — substrate, quantity, finishing, printing method, setup costs, and turnaround time. Done manually, a single quote can take 20 to 40 minutes. Done incorrectly, it either undercuts your margin or loses you the job.
Print estimating software solves this by automating the pricing logic so quotes are generated in seconds, not hours. This list covers seven tools worth evaluating in 2026, with an honest look at what each does well and where it fits best.
1. DesignNBuy Print Estimating Software
DesignNBuy’s print estimating software is the most complete pricing and quoting tool on this list for print shops that want to automate pricing directly within their customer-facing ordering workflow. Unlike standalone estimating tools that sit outside the customer experience, DesignNBuy’s pricing engine is built into the ordering process itself — customers see accurate, real-time pricing as they configure their product, before they ever reach checkout.
The platform handles pricing across every major print category. For commercial and wide format printers, it supports custom options-based pricing where price updates dynamically based on size, material, finishing, and quantity. Dependent options allow prices to adjust automatically when a customer changes one variable — selecting a premium substrate, for example, triggers a price update across the whole order without any manual intervention. For garment decorators and promotional merchandise businesses, the pricing engine supports method-based pricing across screen printing, DTG, digital printing, and embroidery, with separate logic for each — screen printing prices by number of colours, embroidery prices by artwork size, and digital printing prices by quantity range.
The platform also handles customer group pricing, allowing print shops to set separate price tiers for retail customers, wholesale buyers, and resellers from a single configuration. Time-bound promotional pricing, MAP and MSRP controls, and tiered quantity discounts are all built in. Top-up fees for artwork setup and upcharge rules for personalised group orders are also configurable without any custom development.
For print businesses that want their customers to get an instant, accurate quote as part of the design and ordering experience rather than waiting for a manual response, DesignNBuy is the only tool on this list that delivers that end to end.
Key features:
- Real-time dynamic pricing engine built into the customer-facing ordering workflow
- Custom options, dependent options, custom size, absolute, and tiered pricing configurations
- Method-based pricing for screen printing, DTG, digital printing, and embroidery
- Customer group pricing for retail, wholesale, and reseller tiers
- Time-bound promotional pricing and special offer configuration
- MAP and MSRP controls
- Top-up fees for image upload and one-time artwork setup
- Upcharge rules for personalised name and number printing on group orders
- Integrates with Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and BigCommerce
2. PrintVis
PrintVis is a print management information system built on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, designed for commercial print businesses that need estimating, job management, scheduling, and invoicing within a single ERP environment. It is used primarily by mid-to-large print operations that are already running on Microsoft infrastructure and want print-specific functionality inside that ecosystem.
The estimating module handles complex job costing, material planning, and quote generation for a range of print products. Because it sits within Dynamics 365, it connects directly to accounting, procurement, and inventory management, which makes it useful for operations where the print estimating function needs to feed into a broader business management system. The trade-off is complexity — PrintVis requires a significant implementation investment and ongoing Microsoft licensing costs, making it a heavier solution than most small to mid-size print shops need for estimating alone.
Key features:
- Print estimating and job costing within Microsoft Dynamics 365
- Material planning and resource scheduling
- Integration with accounting, procurement, and inventory modules
- Suitable for commercial print operations running Microsoft infrastructure
- Configurable for offset, digital, and wide format print workflows
3. Tharstern
Tharstern is a UK-based print MIS (management information system) with a strong estimating module used by commercial printers, digital print businesses, and wide format shops primarily in the UK and European markets. It covers the full print business workflow from estimating and quoting through job management, scheduling, and delivery.
The estimating tool in Tharstern is designed to handle the complexity of commercial print pricing, including multi-component jobs, substrate variables, finishing options, and quantity breaks. It generates detailed job tickets from approved quotes, which reduces re-keying and speeds up the handoff from sales to production. Tharstern is a well-regarded MIS in its home markets but is less widely used outside the UK, and its pricing and implementation model is better suited to established commercial print businesses than to growing independent shops looking for a lightweight estimating solution.
Key features:
- Estimating and quoting for commercial, digital, and wide format print
- Multi-component job handling with substrate and finishing variables
- Automatic job ticket generation from approved quotes
- Full MIS workflow covering estimating through to delivery
- Strong track record in UK and European commercial print markets
4. Shuttleworth
Shuttleworth is a print management software platform that has served the commercial printing industry for several decades. Its estimating module is built for high-volume commercial print environments and covers offset, digital, and large format print pricing with support for complex job specifications.
The platform handles material costing, press time calculation, finishing, and markup rules, and connects estimating directly to job management and production scheduling. For established commercial print businesses managing a high volume of repeat orders and complex job types, Shuttleworth’s depth of configuration is a genuine strength. For smaller print shops or businesses that primarily need customer-facing online pricing rather than internal estimating, the platform is more than they need and the implementation cost reflects that.
Key features:
- Commercial print estimating for offset, digital, and large format
- Material costing, press time calculation, and finishing pricing
- Markup rules and profit margin configuration
- Job management and production scheduling integration
- Designed for high-volume commercial print environments
5. CERM
CERM is a Belgian print MIS platform used primarily by label printers, flexible packaging businesses, and commercial print operations in Europe. It includes an estimating module that handles the specific pricing requirements of label and packaging printing, including substrate costs, tooling, die charges, and minimum order quantities.
For label and packaging printers specifically, CERM’s estimating capability is more tailored than general commercial print MIS tools. It accounts for the unique cost structure of label production, including plate costs, die cutting setup, and material waste calculations. Outside of the label and packaging sector, its applicability is narrower. Print shops focused on commercial print, wide format, or custom merchandise will find other tools on this list a better fit for their specific pricing requirements.
Key features:
- Print estimating built specifically for label and packaging printing
- Substrate cost, tooling, die charge, and waste calculation
- Minimum order quantity and setup fee configuration
- Full MIS workflow for label and packaging production
- Widely used by European label printers and flexible packaging businesses
6. DocketManager
DocketManager is a cloud-based print MIS designed for small to mid-size commercial print shops that need estimating, job management, and customer portal functionality without the complexity and cost of enterprise-level MIS platforms. It is a practical, accessible option for print businesses that are moving away from manual quoting and paper-based job management for the first time.
The estimating module handles standard commercial print pricing including paper, inks, finishing, and labour, with tiered pricing rules and the ability to generate customer-facing quotes directly from the system. A customer-facing portal allows clients to review and approve quotes online, which speeds up the approval process without requiring back-and-forth emails. For growing print shops that need a straightforward MIS with solid estimating capability at a reasonable cost, DocketManager is one of the more accessible options available.
Key features:
- Cloud-based print estimating for small to mid-size commercial print shops
- Standard print pricing including paper, inks, finishing, and labour
- Tiered pricing and customer-facing quote generation
- Online customer portal for quote review and approval
- Job management and scheduling alongside estimating
- More accessible pricing than enterprise MIS platforms
7. Hexicom
Hexicom is a print estimating and business management tool built for independent print shops and small commercial printers that need to automate quoting without investing in a full MIS. It focuses specifically on the estimating and quoting workflow rather than covering the full production management stack, which makes it a lighter and faster option for shops that primarily need to fix their pricing process.
The tool allows print shops to set up pricing rules for their most common products, generate quotes quickly, and send them to customers for approval. It is straightforward to configure and does not require extensive onboarding or technical expertise to get started. The limitation is depth — for shops with complex multi-method pricing, variable data requirements, or a need for customer-facing real-time pricing integrated into their online store, Hexicom’s scope is limited. It is a practical entry point for shops that are still quoting manually and want a dedicated tool to speed that process up.
Key features:
- Print estimating and quoting for independent and small commercial print shops
- Pricing rule configuration for common print products
- Customer quote generation and approval workflow
- Faster to set up than full MIS platforms
- Focused on estimating rather than full production management
Choosing the Right Print Estimating Software
The tools on this list serve different scales and types of print business. Platforms like PrintVis, Tharstern, and Shuttleworth are built for established commercial print operations that need estimating as part of a broader MIS and ERP infrastructure. CERM is best suited to label and packaging printers with specialist pricing requirements. DocketManager and Hexicom are practical entry points for smaller shops moving away from manual quoting for the first time.
What most of them have in common is that they handle estimating as an internal function — a tool your team uses to generate and send quotes to customers. The customer still waits for a response.
DesignNBuy takes a different approach. The pricing engine is customer-facing and real-time, which means customers get an instant, accurate price as they configure their order on your website. No quote request, no waiting, no back-and-forth. For print businesses that want to reduce the manual overhead of quoting while also improving the customer experience, that distinction is what makes it the most complete option on this list.
