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Index:
05
Industry:
Print & Design
Year:
2025
Duration:
6 weeks
Status:
Delivered
Glasgow GFX · Print & Design

Print Calculator & CRM

Accurate pricing, polished quotes, and full sales pipeline visibility, with zero infrastructure cost.

The Challenge

Print pricing is deceptively complex. A single quote depends on paper type, weight, ink costs, printer capabilities, imposition layouts, setup fees, markup strategy, and VAT, variables that most print shops manage through spreadsheets, gut feel, or outdated software. Quoting errors eat directly into margins. Manual follow-ups fall through the cracks. Most off-the-shelf solutions demand monthly subscriptions, cloud accounts, and onboarding overhead that small print businesses neither need nor want.

The Solution

We built a self-contained Next.js application that puts the entire quoting workflow into a single interface. The pricing engine factors in paper-to-printer compatibility, imposition mathematics, tiered ink costs by quality level, configurable markup per product type, and VAT breakdowns, then surfaces it all as a clean, guided calculation flow. Quotes are assembled line by line, delivered as professionally formatted HTML emails, and tracked through a full sales pipeline with deposit handling and conversion analytics. Everything persists locally via Zustand with localStorage, no server costs, no login screens, no data privacy concerns. Ships with real paper stocks, real printers, and real product categories pre-configured.

01
Phase 1

Pricing Engine & Calculation Logic

We built the core pricing engine that handles the full complexity of print costing. Paper-to-printer compatibility, imposition mathematics, tiered ink costs by quality level, configurable markup per product type, setup fees, and VAT breakdowns, all surfaced as a clean, guided calculation flow.

  • Imposition calculator for any paper and printer combination
  • Tiered ink cost modelling across draft, standard, and high-quality print modes
  • Configurable markup percentages per product type
  • Real-time cost breakdown showing paper, ink, setup, markup, and VAT line by line
  • Pre-loaded with real industry data, zero configuration needed to start quoting
02
Phase 2

Quote Builder & Email Delivery

The quote builder lets operators assemble multi-line quotes from pricing calculations, add custom notes and terms, and deliver them as professionally formatted HTML emails via Resend, all from a single interface.

  • Multi-line quote assembly with drag-and-drop reordering
  • Professionally formatted HTML email delivery via Resend
  • Custom cover notes, payment terms, and validity periods per quote
  • Full quote history with revision tracking and duplicate-to-new workflow
  • PDF-ready layout matching the email format for offline sharing
03
Phase 3

Sales Pipeline & CRM

We added a full sales pipeline and lightweight CRM so the business could track every quote from first contact through to payment. Five pipeline stages, deposit tracking, conversion analytics, and client records.

  • Visual pipeline board with five stages, enquiry, quoted, accepted, deposit paid, completed
  • Conversion rate tracking shows where deals stall and where follow-up is needed
  • Deposit handling with partial payment tracking and outstanding balance alerts
  • Client contact records with quote history and lifetime value
  • Revenue dashboard with monthly totals, average order value, and win rate
Results
£0/mo
Running cost
~2 min
Quote turnaround
100%
Client data privacy
5
Sales pipeline stages
  • 01Quoting accuracy improved immediately, imposition calculations and ink cost modelling eliminated the margin erosion caused by underquoting
  • 02Quote turnaround cut from hours to minutes, what previously required cross-referencing spreadsheets is now a guided workflow
  • 03Full pipeline visibility for the first time, conversion rates, outstanding deposits, and revenue at a glance
  • 04Zero infrastructure cost, no database, no hosting backend, no recurring SaaS fees
  • 05Productive from the first launch, pre-configured with real industry defaults, zero onboarding required
Spec Sheet
Architecture
Framework
Next.js 16 with React 19 and Turbopack
State & Persistence
Zustand with localStorage, fully client-side, zero backend
Forms
React Hook Form with Zod schema validation for every input
UI System
Radix UI primitives with Tailwind CSS and CVA variants
Deployment
Static export, runs on any hosting, no server required
Integrations
Email Delivery
Resend API for transactional quote emails with HTML templates
Pricing Data
Pre-configured paper stocks, printer profiles, and ink cost tables
VAT Calculation
UK VAT rates applied automatically with configurable exemptions
Performance
Data Privacy
100% client-side, all data stays on the device, never leaves the browser
Infrastructure Cost
£0/month, no database, no backend, no recurring SaaS fees
Startup Time
Productive from first launch, pre-configured with real industry defaults
Calculation Speed
Instant recalculation on every input change, no loading states
Code Quality
  • TypeScript strict mode with noUncheckedIndexedAccess
  • Zod validation on every form and calculation input
  • Immutable state updates via Zustand
  • Component-driven architecture with Radix UI primitives
  • Accessible markup meeting WCAG 2.1 AA standards
  • Zero runtime dependencies on external services for core functionality
Technologies
  • Next.js 16
  • TypeScript
  • Tailwind CSS
  • Radix UI
  • Zustand
  • React Hook Form
  • Zod
  • Resend
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Glasgow GFX Print Studio

Visit
The Pentagon Business Centre
Unit 204b, 36–38 Washington Street
Glasgow G3 8AZ
Hours
Mon–Fri 9:00–18:00
Sat 10:00–18:00
Sun closed
Service area
Glasgow, Hamilton, Paisley, East Kilbride, Motherwell. Free delivery across Central Scotland on orders over £50.