Below are answers to
common questions. You can also check for more information within
the User's Guide (PDF
Version).
What
kind of computer do I need to run the Presstimator?
Will
the Presstimator run on a Mac?
Can
the Presstimator produce quotes in Metric measurements?
Can
the Presstimator help me to avoid mistakes?
Can
I make changes to a Quote after I'm done?
How
can I find an old Quote?
How
easy is it to mark up my costs?
Can
I modify the reports generated by the Presstimator?
Can
I use the Presstimator to do cost studies?
How
much does the Presstimator cost?
Is
there a discount if I order multiple copies?
As
a single user, can I install the Presstimator on my machine and
my laptop?
How
can I share information with other estimators/shop locations?
How
does the Presstimator handle multiple printing plants?
How
do I upgrade to a more recent version of the Presstimator?
How
do I back up my Presstimator data?
Error
Messages in McAfee VirusScan?
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must have Acrobat Reader to view PDF files.
To download for free click below.
What
kind of computer do I need to run the Presstimator?
The
Presstimator requires Windows 95® or later*. A minimum of
32MB RAM is required; 64MB RAM is recommended. Reports are sent
to Microsoft Word® 97 or later, which may be purchased separately
if needed.
*
Click here for help with Windows NT.
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Will
the Presstimator run on a Mac?
The
Presstimator is designed as a Windows® application. However,
it has been tested on a Mac running Virtual PC®. Certain functions,
such as opening a Quote, may be slower in this environment. For
a speedier solution, you may want to consider investing in a low
cost PC to handle your estimating needs. The newer MACs with the
Intel processor that is capable of running WIndows XP is able
to run the Presstimator without any issues.
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Can
the Presstimator produce quotes in Metric measurements?
Yes,
the Presstimator can handle both US/English and/or Metric measurements.
You can maintain your Shop Settings in one standard yet produce
estimates in either format. For example, if your shop standards
are entered in Metric units, you can create Quotes in either format
by clicking on a checkbox within a Quote.
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Can
the Presstimator help me to avoid mistakes?
The
Question/Answer format prompts the user for detailed job specifications.
In addition, the Auditor checks for missing information to help
eliminate costly oversights.
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Can
I make changes to a Quote after I'm done?
You
can make changes at any time while preparing a Quote. Each time
you visit a Tab, the Presstimator automatically checks to see
if changes have been made and recalculates the Quote, if needed.
Even after a Quote has been saved, you can open it, make modifications
and save your changes (or Save As to save a new copy of the Quote).
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How
can I find an old Quote?
The
Presstimator Quote History database contains a listing of all
the Quotes that have been previously saved. The list can be sorted
and/or filtered by various criteria (Name, Customer, Date, etc.)
so it's easy to find any Quote you're looking for.
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How
easy is it to mark up my costs?
Summary screens break costs down into categories (Materials, Labor,
Finishing, Misc.) and allow each of the over-30 line-items to
be marked up separately. Sets of markup values (Markup Schemes)
can be stored and recalled for future quotes, making "what-if"
scenarios easy to create. The Profit Calculator in Shop Settings
helps the user determine the correct markup needed to achieve
a desired profit. This Profit Calculator can be used to quickly
and easily create complete Markup Schemes such as "10% Profit"
or "20% Profit".
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Can
I modify the reports generated by the Presstimator?
Reports
are sent to Microsoft Word® or Excel® for editing, customizing,
printing, faxing, e-mailing, and storage.
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Can
I use the Presstimator to do cost studies?
The
Presstimator not only calculates costs and profits, but also the
amount of materials needed and time required by department. The
Analysis Tab allows the user to instantly compare cost of materials
vs. selling cost (plus paper as % of cost). Break down each cost
into one of four categories (Materials, Labor, Finishing, Misc.)
to easily perform detailed cost studies. Once a job is completed,
you can input the actual production counters and time information
from the production department (this process can be automated
from your data collection software). The Presstimator will then
analyze the data within a customizable Excel spreadsheet so you
can see how accurate your estimates are. You can also analyze
total profits based on filtered estimates from the Quote History
screens.
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How
much does the Presstimator cost?
Click
here to view our current pricing information.
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Is
there a discount if I order multiple copies?
Click
here to view our current pricing information.
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As
a single user, can I install the Presstimator on my machine and
my laptop?
If
a single copy of the Presstimator is purchased, it can be installed
on a single machine with multiple users. Additional installation
on a laptop (or other) computer is considered fair use, as long
as there is only one user at any given time. However, you will
need to contact Star*Key Software for a valid Registration Code
each time you install the Presstimator on a new computer.
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How
can I share information with other estimators/shop locations?
There
are many ways to share data with other Presstimator users. If
you have multiple Plants, the Presstimator can hold the Shop Settings
(your shop's costs and standards) within a single database.
Import/Export
capabilities allows estimators to share quotes, customers and
Shop Settings. Shop Settings standards can be established and
shared among all shop locations/estimators.
Data
can also be shared by putting the Presstimator database on a network
so it can be shared by multiple users at the same time. With the
Multi-User Add-On, multiple estimators can work on quotes at the
same time within the same database. Each user can also be assigned
permissions to modify Shop Settings and Quotes and access the
BHR module.
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How
does the Presstimator handle multiple printing plants?
In
Shop Settings, users can pecify their Plant name(s) and printing
Location(s) within those Plants. This was designed for those users
with multiple plants or multiple printing locations within a single
plant, and it allows users to have multiple 'Defaults' within
Shop Settings that will apply to jobs produced in different plants
or on different presses. Consider the following examples:
Multiple
Plants:
You own two different plants, and each plant has its own unique
set of Shop Settings. In prior versions, users would typically
have two different databases to keep each plant's Shop Settings
separate, since they would have two different sets of 'Default'
costs and values for each plant. In this version, users can enter
both Plants into a single database and keep these values separated
by assigning unique defaults to each plant. Also, if plants share
some common settings, you can share a single entry across multiple
plants instead of having a duplicate set of Shop Settings. Therefore,
if Plant A and Plant B have two different costs for newsprint,
you can create two entries in Stocks in Shop Settings, and you
can designate each of these entries as the 'Default' for the specified
Plant. However, if those two plants have the same cost for a Color
Ink, you can create a single Color Ink entry in Shop Settings
and specify that the single ink entry 'Default' applies to all
plants. When creating a Quote, simply specify the Plant for the
job on the Customer tab and when you click on "Load Defaults,'
the defaults for the corresponding Plant/Location will be loaded.
Single
Plant, Two Different Presses:
You own a single plant, but have different paper, ink and press
costs associated with your Location A (coldset press) vs. your
Location B (heatset press). In this case, you can specify that
your single plant has two printing locations by creating two locations
in Shop Settings. This enables you to enter a 'Default' process
color ink for Location A (coldset) and a separate 'Default' process
color ink for Location B (heatset). When creating a Quote, simply
specify the Location for each Section and when you click on "Load
Defaults' the defaults for the corresponding Location will be
loaded. However, if both locations within the plant both share
a particular default cost, you can indicate that the single entry
in Shop Settings is to be applied to all locations within the
plant.
Single
Plant, Two Different Shifts:
Another creative use of this new feature is to consider variations
to a given press as unique "locations." For example,
you can create a location for third-shift printing, a different
manning configuration, or even for a rush job. With this approach,
you can more accurately determine your costs and you can count
on reliable, reproducible estimating for every situation.
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How
do I upgrade to a more recent version of the Presstimator?
Before
upgrading, be sure to back up your current data! If you are using
a prior version of the Presstimator and wish to upgrade, just
insert the new installation disk. The install program will detect
the existing version on your machine and install the necessary
components. Be sure to read the Upgrade Instructions, which indicate
that the new version must be installed in the same location as
the prior version. When you go to run the new version of the Presstimator
for the first time, the program will complete the upgrade process
and your data will be preserved.
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How
do I back up my Presstimator data?
For
Version 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2 , your data is contained in the files
PW.MDB and WQ.MDB which are located in your Presstimator folder
(most likely, c:\program files\presstimator). Just copy these
two files to your backup destination media.
For
Version 1.3 (and above), your data is contatined in the files
PW.PWD and DATA.PDB. which are located in your Presstimator folder
(most likely, c:\program files\presstimator). Just copy these
two files to your backup destination media.
If
you have the Multi-User Add-On for Version 1.3 (and above), your
data (DATA.PDB) can be renamed and located in any drive on your
network. Locate that file and copy it to your backup destination
media. In addition, the file PW.PWD will be located in in your
Presstimator folder (most likely, c:\program files\presstimator).
Be sure to copy this file to your backup destination media along
with your DATA.PDB data file.
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Error
Messages in McAfee VirusScan?
If
you are getting an error message (internal error 2715.F7056_BrowseVS.exe)
in McAfee VirusScan when viewing any of the Delivery or Customer
Information screens in the Presstimator, you will need to get
the latest version of McAfee VirusScan (at least 7.03). There
is an error in VirusScan which conflicts with Microsoft's Masked
Edit control msmask32.ocx which is included in the Presstimator
for displaying text fields with phone numbers.
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