Step 1 of 9Getting Started
Welcome to Printcore
The first time you sign in, a 15-step setup wizard pops up. It walks you through everything from branding to pricing to accounting — most steps have AI-suggested defaults so you rarely type from scratch.
What to do
Read what the wizard plans to set up, then click Next. You can pause and resume anytime.
Why it matters
Smart defaults are pre-filled by AI based on your shop type, so you rarely have to type from a blank page.
Step 2 of 9Getting Started
Populate your shop with industry data
Pre-load standard inventory items, pricing templates, products, and production operations commonly used in print shops. You'll customize from there.
app.printcore.ai/setup/shop-data
What to do
On Populate Your Shop, tick the data sets that apply — Inventory Items, Pricing Templates, Products, Production Operations. Click Next.
Why it matters
Starting with realistic data means you can quote a real job on day one. Skip the empty-spreadsheet syndrome that kills most setups.
Step 3 of 9Getting Started
Set up your equipment
Name each press, cutter, and finishing station. Use the AI Setup Assistant — describe your shop in one sentence and it suggests the right equipment.
app.printcore.ai/setup/equipment
What to do
Type a quick description in the AI Setup Assistant (e.g. "Small vinyl sign shop with one wide-format printer") and click Suggest. Rename or remove items so the list matches your actual gear.
Why it matters
Equipment names drive scheduling and tracking later — every job knows which station to route through.
Step 4 of 9Getting Started
Configure pricing
Set your standard markup, material markup, labor rate, and base wide-format pricing. These flow into every quote you produce.
app.printcore.ai/setup/pricing
What to do
Adjust Markup Settings (standard/material/labor), set your Hourly Rate, and tune Wide Format Pricing (per sq/ft, setup fee, lamination). Defaults are based on industry benchmarks.
Why it matters
Centralizing pricing here means every new quote uses the latest rules — no more outdated numbers in a back-office spreadsheet.
Step 5 of 9Getting Started
Set your overhead
Tell Printcore your monthly overhead — rent, utilities, insurance — so it can roll real overhead cost into per-job profitability.
app.printcore.ai/setup/overhead
What to do
Use the suggested industry estimate, or open the Overhead Calculator to enter your actual monthly costs. Pick an Allocation Method (proportional to labor hours is the default).
Why it matters
Without overhead, jobs look more profitable than they really are. This step is what makes the Profitability report trustworthy.
Step 6 of 9Getting Started
Connect your accounting software
Link QuickBooks, Xero, Sage, FreshBooks, or others. Customers, invoices, and historical jobs sync automatically — and your pricing AI gets smarter once it sees real history.
app.printcore.ai/setup/accounting
What to do
Click Connect and sign in to your accounting service. Once linked, Printcore imports historical invoices, syncs customers, and tracks payments & outstanding balances.
Why it matters
Connecting unlocks AI-powered pricing suggestions based on your actual historical wins. You can skip this step now and connect later in Settings → Integrations.
Step 7 of 9Getting Started
Add your team
Invite the people who'll use Printcore with you — sales, prepress, operators. Each person uses your shop's tenant ID when they register.
app.printcore.ai/setup/team
What to do
Click Manage Team. Share your Shop ID with each team member. They register using that ID; back in Settings → Team you set their roles and permissions.
Why it matters
Roles control what each person sees. Operators don't see customer pricing; sales doesn't see press settings. Everyone gets the view that fits their job.
Step 8 of 9Getting Started
Finish — you're in
Your shop is ready for your first quote.
What to do
Click Finish. Bookmark app.printcore.ai in your browser so you can come back fast.
Why it matters
Every screen you'll use in your daily work is one click away from the left sidebar.
You're set up! 🎉
You've finished setup. Next, take a quick tour of the Dashboard — the home base for everything in your shop.
