Dimensional Letters (CNC) is a product for pricing CNC-cut dimensional letters. It is stored in Products & Modifiers, in the Digital / Vinyl category. The Sales Form takes the letter text, letter height, font style, material, and machine. The Pricing card sets the method Calculate uses. The same Sales Form is used when Dimensional Letters (CNC) is added on an Estimate or Order.
Table of Contents
- Where to Find Dimensional Letters (CNC)
- What Dimensional Letters (CNC) Includes
- Product Settings
- Linked Components
- Enter the Letters
- Review the Price
- Add Dimensional Letters to an Estimate
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Related Articles
Where to Find Dimensional Letters (CNC)
Navigate to System Settings / Components / Products & Modifiers.
1. Open Dimensional Letters (CNC).
Note: Search can also list a modifier with a similar name, such as Arc - Dimensional Letters. Open the row whose Type is Product.
What Dimensional Letters (CNC) Includes
a. The name is Dimensional Letters (CNC). The name on customer documents is Dimensional Letters. The category is Digital / Vinyl. The description is Dimensional Letters.
b. Pricing is the method Calculate uses.
- For the fields on this card, see Product Details.
- For how each method calculates, see Understanding Market-Based vs. Cost-Plus Pricing, Cost Based Pricing, and Market Based Pricing.
- For tables, minimums, and fees, see Markup and Margin Pricing Tables and Product Minimums and Fees.
c. Product Settings holds lead time, order-entry visibility, assembly defaults, and the custom pricing options.
d. Linked Components are the materials, labor, machine, and modifiers this product can use.
e. Accounting & Tax assigns income, expense, and tax.
- For the fields on this card, see Product Details.
- Taxability Codes are managed at System Settings / Accounting / Taxability Codes. See Taxability Codes.
Product Settings
Product Settings holds the defaults that follow the product onto an Estimate or Order. The card shows how many settings are saved. This product shows 16.
a. Lead Time (Days) is the number of days orders use when calculating a production due date. On this product it is 0.
b. Hide in Order Entry, when on, keeps the product out of the Estimate and Order list without deleting it. On this product it is off, so Dimensional Letters (CNC) can be added to a line.
c. Assembly Defaults can fill a starting Width and Letter Height. On this product both are 0 in. When letters are entered, width equals the letter height times the Font Style factor.
d. Custom Pricing Options feed the custom formula. Use Material Retail is on, so the material price uses the selected material's retail price. Run Charge Unit is Per Sq Foot and Run Charge is 0. 2nd Side Calculated On is Material & Run Charge, and % Of Retail for 2nd Side is 50%. A second side uses that percent. Run Charge Only would apply the percent to the run charge alone.
e. Include Machine is on, which is why the machine appears on the Sales Form. The custom formula then multiplies the selling price by the machine profile's value multiplier. That multiplier starts at 100% unless the profile uses another value. Hide Machine From Standard Order Entry is off. Use Custom Waste Calculation is off, so scrap is not added to the formula unless that option is turned on.
Note: Default Line Item Category and Default Workflow are optional starting values.
- For every setting on the card, see Product Details.
Linked Components
Linked Components are the materials, labor, machine, and modifiers the product is allowed to use. The card counts linked rows and unlinked rows. A shop links its own catalog. This product shows 5 linked and 1 unlinked.
a. Material is Multiple Choices. One linked material is Aluminum .025 Silver Metalic 36 x 36.
b. Assembly Labor is the unlinked row. Link a labor there when the product should include assembly time.
c. Machine is Multiple Choices. One linked machine is Flat Stock Cutter / Engraver 2.15.
d. The modifiers are Install, Layout and Prep, and Production Rush. Those options appear on the Sales Form under Standard Options.
- For how to link or unlink a component, see Linked Components.
- For how a modifier differs from a product, see Products vs. Modifiers.
Enter the Letters
1. Set Quantity.
2. Select the Material. This example uses Aluminum .040 18 x 24.
3. Enter the Text. This example uses OPEN.
4. Enter the Letter Height (in). This example uses 8.
5. Select a Font Style. The choices are Narrow, Standard, and Wide.
6. Select the Machine. On this product, one machine is Flat Stock Cutter / Engraver 2.15.
Note: Characters fills from Text with spaces removed. OPEN fills Characters with 4. The value can still be edited, and that count is what the area uses. Font Style sets the width factor: Narrow is 0.8, Standard is 1, and Wide is 1.2. Standard is the starting value. Standard Options are Layout and Prep, Production Rush, and Install.
Review the Price
1. Click Calculate.
a. Cost Breakdown lists Labor, Machine, and Total Cost. That is job cost. The line's selling price comes from the method on the Pricing card. With Custom, labor and machine cost can appear here without being the selling price.
Note: Calculate prices the current Sales Form with the method on the Pricing card. The amounts below are one example: text OPEN at 8 in, quantity 1, material Aluminum .040 18 x 24, machine Flat Stock Cutter / Engraver 2.15, with the saved method Custom. Labor is $3.50, Machine is $0.43, and Total Cost is $3.93. A different method, run charge, material retail, or form value produces a different price. Click Calculate again after the form changes. The button label then reads Recalculate. Explain this price opens the calculation.
Add Dimensional Letters to an Estimate
Navigate to Sales / Estimates.
Note: The same steps work on an Order. Open the Order from Sales / Orders.
1. Open the Estimate.
2. On Line Items, click Line Item.
3. Enter a Line Item Name.
4. Select Dimensional Letters (CNC).
5. Click Next.
Note: Select a Line Item Category on this dialog. Then complete Material, Text, Letter Height (in), Font Style, and Machine the same way as Enter the Letters, and click Save Changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What do Narrow, Standard, and Wide change?
Answer: Font Style sets the width factor used with letter height. Narrow is 0.8, Standard is 1, and Wide is 1.2. A wider factor increases the area, so the material price and a per-area run charge increase with it.
2. Why does search show more than one Dimensional Letters row?
Answer: One row is the Product named Dimensional Letters (CNC). Another can be a modifier with a similar name. Open the Product to use this Sales Form.
3. Does Dimensional Letters (CNC) have to use Custom?
Answer: No. Custom is only the method saved on this product. Method on the Pricing card can be Margin, Markup, Market - Product, Market - Component, or Custom. Calculate uses the method that is saved.
Related Articles
Adding Products During Estimate or Order Entry