Compare PrintMIS with your current system
Most print businesses run on spreadsheets, generic software or an ageing MIS. Here's how PrintMIS compares across the workflow areas that matter — estimating, web-to-print, production, inventory, supplier access and integrations.
What most print businesses are running today.
Each of these is a reasonable choice for someone. The question is which one matches the volume and complexity you handle now.
Spreadsheets & email
- Works well
- Cheap, flexible and familiar. Every print business starts here, and for a handful of jobs a week it genuinely works.
- Runs out when
- It breaks when two estimators price the same job differently, the pricing file lives on one person's desktop, and nobody can say what is on press right now.
Generic business software
- Works well
- Strong accounting, invoicing and customer records, usually already in place and understood by the finance team.
- Runs out when
- It has no concept of a print job. Run lengths, sheet sizes, stock, imposition and finishing do not exist, so estimating stays manual and jobs get re-keyed.
Legacy print MIS
- Works well
- Built for print and often very deep. If it has been in place for years, it usually holds a lot of hard-won process.
- Runs out when
- Change tends to be slow and costly, storefront and AI estimating are bolt-ons at best, and new starters take a long time to become productive.
PrintMIS (ePRO)
- Works well
- Print-specific and connected from enquiry to invoice, with web-to-print, AI estimating and supplier access in the same ecosystem.
- Runs out when
- It is not the cheapest way to quote a single job — if you only need fast estimating, start with the AI Print Estimator rather than a full MIS.
Where PrintMIS is different.
Comparison reflects typical capability of each approach. A guided demo confirms fit for your specific workflow.
| Capability | PrintMIS (ePRO) | Spreadsheets & email | Generic business software | Legacy print MIS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI-assisted print estimating | ||||
| Web-to-print storefronts | ||||
| Estimate-to-invoice workflow | ||||
| Job tickets, boards & planning | ||||
| Materials, purchasing & warehouse | ||||
| Supplier network access | ||||
| Shipping, payment & accounting add-ons | ||||
| Built specifically for print | ||||
| Modern, connected interface | ||||
| Low-friction entry (start small) |
Four tests worth more than any feature list.
However the table looks, these are the checks that tell you whether a change is worth making.
- 1
Quote the same job twice
Take a real job and price it in your current process and in PrintMIS. Compare the time taken and the number you land on.
- 2
Follow one job end to end
Enquiry, estimate, order, job ticket, production, delivery, invoice. Count how many times the same detail is typed again.
- 3
Ask who else can run it
If only one person can produce a reliable quote, the process is a risk regardless of the software behind it.
- 4
Check what month end looks like
Reporting, invoicing and stock reconciliation reveal more about a system than any feature list.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to replace everything at once?
No. Many print businesses start with AI estimating or a single part of the ePRO workflow, prove it, then expand. The three PrintMIS applications are independent.
We already have a print MIS — is it worth comparing?
The areas worth testing are estimating speed, customer-facing storefronts and how much information gets re-keyed between departments. A guided comparison focuses on those rather than a full feature audit.
Can PrintMIS work with our accounting software?
ePRO integrates with QuickBooks Online for accounting, Stripe for payments and GoShippo for shipping, so finance and dispatch do not need to be rebuilt.
How can I compare pricing fairly?
ePRO is priced through discovery because modules, users, migration and training vary between printers. The AI Print Estimator is self-service, so the estimating side can be tested before committing to a full system.