GuideIntermediate

Choosing the right registration system

Registration time is setup time — and setup time is the tax on short runs.

8 minPrint Profit Navigator EditorialUpdated 05/06/2026

TL;DR

  • Pre-registration off-press moves registration out of the machine's critical path.
  • Savings scale with job count, not with volume — many small jobs benefit most.
  • Only value the saved minutes if the press is capacity-limited or the hours are cash-effective.

A shop running 18 jobs a week at 14 minutes registration each loses more than 4 hours of press time weekly. On a capacity-limited press, that is sellable output. On an idle press, it is nothing at all — the distinction decides the investment.

Options

SystemTypical registration timeBest for
On-press manual10–20 min / jobLow job count, long runs
Pre-registration jig3–6 min / jobMixed shops, fast payback
Camera / laser assisted2–4 min / jobHigh job count, tight tolerances
Fully automatic registration< 2 min / jobHigh-mix automatic presses
Monthly press time released
Hours = Jobs_per_month × (Time_before − Time_after) / 60

72 jobs per month, 14 → 5 minutes

Press hours released
10.8 h / month
If capacity-limited: extra sold output at margin
≈ €2,050 / month
If demand-limited: cash value
€0 — record as capacity only

Interactive example

Registration time released per month

Hours released
10.8 h
Value if capacity-limited
€ 2.052
Value if demand-limited
€ 0

Same calculation kernel as the full calculators. For a decision-grade result, open the matching calculator.

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