What it does
A rotogravure cylinder is priced by its engraved area, not by a flat per-cylinder rate — circumference and face width move the number as much as the technology and cylinder type do, and none of that is visible in a single quoted figure.
The Rotogravure Printing Cylinder Cost Calculator works that arithmetic for you. Pick a cost model, describe the cylinders in the set and the job they belong to, and it resolves the engraved area and the rate for each cylinder's technology and type into a total set cost, a cost per cylinder, and a cost per colour, per pouch and per kilogram of laminate.
How it works
- Open the module and choose New estimate.
- Pick a cost model from the list available to you.
- For each cylinder line, choose the engraving technology and cylinder type, and enter the circumference, face width and cylinder count. Add more lines as needed.
- Enter the job's colours, print quantity in pouches, and expected laminate weight in kg.
- Read the live cost breakdown as you adjust the job — there is nothing to submit.
What a cost model holds
A model sets one rate basis for the whole model — per square centimetre, per 1,000 square millimetres, or per square inch — and converts each cylinder's engraved area (circumference × face width) into that unit automatically. Against that basis:
- Rate master A rate for each combination of engraving technology (EME or Laser) and cylinder type (New, Re-engraving or DCRC re-chroming), with an optional per-cylinder minimum charge.
- Width and circumference factor bands Optional multipliers — a cylinder whose size falls in a band has its rate scaled by that band's factor, so larger or smaller cylinders are not priced as if they were an average size.
Suppliers and admins author models from Manage cost models; a model is Public (usable by everyone) or Private. A Private model can still be shared with named customers by their Google sign-in email — they can estimate against it but never see the rate tables or edit the model.
What the breakdown shows
- Per cylinder Engraved area converted to the model's rate basis, the matched rate (or minimum charge, whichever applies), and the cost for that cylinder.
- Total set cost Every cylinder line summed into one figure for the set.
- Result Cost per cylinder, per colour, per 1,000 pouches, and per kilogram of laminate — so a cylinder cost can be compared against the same job priced in the Flexible Laminate calculator.
A cylinder estimate is a working estimate, not a quotation. It is what the set works out to against one cost model's rate tables on the day — confirm the final price with the cylinder maker before you commit to it.
Comparing options
Below the estimate, Compare prices the same cylinders two ways — new against re-engraving, and EME against laser — and shows how much the cheaper option saves, so the trade-off between re-engraving an existing cylinder and cutting a new one is a number, not a guess.
Saved estimates stay current
Save an estimate under a name of your choosing and it appears under Saved estimates on the module home. Reopening one reprices it against the cost model's current rates, so it always reflects today's figures rather than the day it was saved. Only you can see your own saved estimates.
From estimate to RFQ
A saved cylinder estimate can be sent to several cylinder makers at once. In the RFQ module, start a new RFQ, choose Cylinders, and add the saved estimate as an item — its specification is copied across, never your own costing. Each supplier quotes a price per cylinder, so the responses line up for comparison the same way a laminate or box RFQ does.
Who uses it
- Rotogravure cylinder makers One shared rate basis for engraving, plating and re-chroming, and Private models that stay yours while still pricing for named customers.
- Converters and brand owners buying cylinders With calculator access, price a cylinder set against a published cost model to understand what a quote is built on, then compare new against re-engraving before committing.
- Packaging professionals Cylinder cost carried through to the same per-kg and per-pouch basis as the laminate job it prints, so the two figures sit side by side.
The use cases on the home page cover all eight roles and which modules answer each.