When working with a wide-format printer, you need to figure out how much paper you’ll need and how to budget for it. Fortunately, this is an easy task. It all depends on the jobs you plan to take on and how many prints you’ll run off. Take time to figure out exactly how much paper you need to prevent the potential for running out mid-project. Here’s a quick guide to calculating how much wide format paper to buy for a project. Being forewarned can help you gather plenty of paper to get the job done!
Pick a Paper
Begin by determining the size of your project. Specifically, how large will the individual prints be? Get the measurements of the final printed version of the project. The design program you’re using to create the document or image should give you all the details in the layout stage. You can also find them by looking under “Adjust Size” in the menu bar. Wide-format printer paper can come in widths from 17 to 100 inches but tends to break down into dimensions of 24 inches, 36 inches, 42 inches, and so forth. Knowing the dimensions helps you choose the best paper size.
Trim and Bleed
That subhead isn’t as ominous as it sounds! The next thing to consider is the fact that the size of the document or image isn’t necessarily the final size. You may need to account for bleed and allow a certain amount of space around the image you’ll trim off. Bleed is a margin that allows for a cleaner print and to permit variations in print alignment. Trimming is removing the extra paper surrounding the image. Essentially, a 12 x 12-inch image might have a 14 x 14-inch printout requiring two inches of bleed all around. Account for that difference when picking wide-format paper and deciding how much you’ll need.
Correct Calculations
The next step is calculating the area of the project. Think back to math and geometry class! You can figure out the project’s area by multiplying the width and height of the project. A 10 x 10-inch project, for example, would be 100 square inches. With the trimming and bleed measurements in mind, you can figure out the actual area the ink covers. This should give you a better idea of the amount of paper you need to provide enough surface for the project.
What’s the Endgame?
Part of your calculations should involve the price for different kinds of print media. Whether you’re using 24-lb paper or some other type of paper, film, or canvas, every medium has a different price. Take that into account while drawing up your budget, and err on the side of caution with expensive brands. Give yourself a buffer of 10–20 percent. Waste not, want not!
Those are the basics of calculating how much wide format paper to buy for a project. Contact us for a consultation for your next project!
