Printer for estimate sheets??

I made my own estimate,work order sheets thru Microsoft Word.
I was going to take them down to a print shop to have them made up like my old estimate sheets where they come in attached 2 sheet form where the first sheet(original) acts like carbon paper and the second sheet becomes a copy of the first one.

Because I like to change my estimate sheets at times, I was wondering if they sell a certain type of printer that can make these kind of estimate sheets(With the 2 sheet format)??

How do others handle this if they make there own estimate sheets? Also what type Printer do you use?

Is it maybe more pratical to print two copies of my estimate sheets and just put Carbon paper in the middle? This doesn't seem as professional to me.

John,

I made up my own estimate sheets in MS word, took it to a printer, and he printed up the two part carbonless sheets for me. The top copy is white, and the bottom is yellow.

I think it was only about $60 for 500 to be printed. For that amount of money, it doesn't seem practical to buy a quality laser jet printer, that uses lots of expensive toner, and quality paper. You'd have to use carbon sheets between, because I've never seen or heard of anybody running carbonless paper on a computer printer. If anybody reading this has, hopefully they'll speak out.

I've got a really nice color HP Deskjet, but I don't like to do my own printing, because the ink doesn't hold up to moisture of any kind. Get's all smeary.

Laserjet printers on the other hand, burn the image into the paper, and does not smear when it gets wet.

I don't have the cabbage for a laser jet, so I continue to use a copy service to make the quantities from my original.

When I first started out, I used estimate forms that I bought from one of the big office stores. They did the job fine for my first two years.

I'm on my third iteration now, getting ever closer to the ideal contract (if such a thing really exists....like the Loch Ness Monster...some actually claim to have seen it!)

My opinion is to pay a printer to do it, because it will look better, and will not cost you that much more than printing them yourself.

Tony,
When I first started I used to get my estimate sheets from Staples. They were standard form sheets which came in a booklet and I just put my compant name on it.

That was for the first 3 years in business. The last 3 years I had a printer make me up estimate sheets that I desing myself which is exactly the same as what your printer gave you with the cover sheet bieng white and carbonless and the second sheet bieng yellow.

The only reason why I wanted to possibly try something different is because I would like to change my estimate sheets whenever I wanted.

But it looks like for this year I will have to go to the printer and get some more estimate sheets printed up. I didn't think about what you brought up about the ink running if the estimate sheet gets wet. Great point.

I have a HP color LaserJet printer, however, I don't think it is possible to print carbon forms like that...........you would have to use carbon paper each estimate you wrote, which would just drive me nuts!

Outsourcing this one sounds like a good idea.

Estimate Sheet

Hello all,

Thank you for this site it is great...

Could any of you with estimate sheets, please send me a copy. I am researching all i can on power washing and am hopful of adding this service to my cleaning biz..

Again thank you all for all the great infomation posted..

my e-mail address is mertowest_cleaning@hotmail.com

Thanks again,

Steve

The paper you are talking (writing) about is called NCR (no carbon required) and you need to use a impact style tractor feed printer. We use 9 pin Okidata 320 printers for all our NCR computer printing (statements, invoices, andsome of our proposals and contracts). The Oki printers are about $329. and the ribbons are about $15.00. The Oki's last for years and are as easy to use as an ink jet.

This works great for forms you have printed commercially and fill in the blanks at your office, the Oki's are not well suited for a mobile office.

As for the initial printing on the NCR I don't believe that it is possible or practicle to do that in house.

John,

Have you thought about laptop and portable printers. We started using last year and it worked great. A plus is correct about the cartridges but we changed our printer to an hp 350 portables and they lasted a long time and the cartridges are only $8.95 if you buy in bulk. If you are using quickbooks you can give the one printed estimate to the customer and keep yours on the hardrive. The customer, once they accept the estimate, they sign and give back to us for filing.

One of my main goals for last year was to automate our business and reduce the amount of handwriting. My guys do not have the best handwriting and neither do I. Our invoices and estimates are all done this way and look very professional.

Hope this helps.

I think canon even makes a battery operated printer......saw an artilce on it once, but I forget the model number.

On another thread, I wrote how I handle the printer issue...

You can use your home AC powered printed in your vehicle by getting a AC adapter at Costco, $14 for a two-pac, that plug right into your lighter.

I use my Laptop and my home printer in my truck. Actually, I have a whole office in my truck: Computer, Laptop, Cell Phone at all times, etc. The Customers like the idea and are very surprised when I walk right back up with a printed bill or estimate.

Always a plus if your competition went all the way back home or to the office and you had it within minutes, if not seconds.

The Hp 350 comes with rechargable battery. Use time is about 3 hours constant. Never a need for that long. Also it comes with ac adapter. I figured if you count, the amount of invoices/estimates that got throw away because they did not look good or got screwed up by riding all day in the truck, bad handwriting by employees, cost of having custom printed product, this was the way to go.

A replacement battery if you need to replace cost around $120.00 as mentioned above the cartridges cost around $8.95 in bulk and last about 3 months. And believe me, the professional look it gives you tops the competition.

Canon makes a BC85 portable that run around $275 that seems to be a nice portable.

Use Ebay and buy yourself a decent laptop for around $250 and a decent portable printer for about $150 and you will have a nice setup. Make sure you go with quickbooks 2004 and you will be more than happy and so will your customers.

i have the power inverter already, with two plugs.......but with a battery operated printer you really have no limits.....you could even bring it in their house if you wanted to.

Or if something happens to your inverter, or you blow a fuse and dont have a replacement, etc..........you'd still be able to operate.