Getting Started
Stellogics quotes get more accurate as your account gets more complete. Nothing here is required to start quoting, your account works from the moment you sign up. But finishing these three things, once, is what turns a rough estimate into a number you can trust, for as long as you use Stellogics.
Why this matters
When you sign up, Stellogics seeds your account with starter pricing, so you can quote something real on day one instead of staring at a blank catalog. Those starter prices are a placeholder, not your shop's real numbers. Every quote tells you exactly which lines are still on starter pricing, so you always know what's real and what isn't.
The setup below is a one time investment. You do it once, and it keeps paying off on every quote after that.
Step 1, Profile
Add your shop's address, phone number, and logo under Shop Settings. This is what appears on every quote PDF you send. It takes two minutes and it's the first thing a customer sees.
Step 2, Press Room
Press Room holds the prices for your digital, offset, and large format equipment, things like press speed, plate cost, and click charges. These start with reasonable defaults so quoting works immediately. Replace them with your real prices as soon as you can, since a lot of pricing depends on them. This only needs to be set once.
Step 3, Pricing Catalog
This is where most of the real work lives, and it's worth doing well.
Your catalog comes preloaded with common items, papers, finishing options, prepress steps, so you can quote right away. As you price your own items and add ones specific to your shop, your quotes stop relying on starter numbers and start reflecting your actual business.
Writing good descriptions
A description is not decoration. It's what the system reads to match an incoming request to the right catalog item. Two rules:
Say what it is. Not just "14pt Cover," but what makes that stock distinctive, coating, weight, common use.
Say when you use it. What kinds of jobs call for this item. Postcards, business cards, posters, whatever's true for your shop.
A short, specific description beats a long vague one. Two sentences is usually enough.
Example
Weak: "Laminate"
Better: "Gloss laminate for postcards and menus. Protects against handling and moisture. Most common on 14pt and 16pt cover stock."
What to expect as you go
Every quote shows you which lines are still using starter or default pricing, right at the top, with a link straight to the item in your catalog. There's no finish line here on purpose. As you take on new kinds of jobs, keep adding and describing the items that come up. The more complete your catalog, the more of your quoting reflects your shop, not a generic starting point.