Get your shipping cost matrix

1. Set your maximum sign dimensions

First, set a maximum height and width limitation for your signs. This will establish the maximum size limits of the sign dimensions you need to consider for pricing.You may need to speak to your supplier to find out these maximum dimensions. 

2. Working with a shipping cost matrix

Please follow these steps in order.

2.1 Choose your shipping locations

The first step is to determine where in the world you will be shipping your items from and where you will be shipping your items to. You will need this as a base for retrieving all your cost values from your supplier.

Please note that our app currently supports shipping cost calculations for a single location per sign customiser. If you want to handle different shipping prices for different shipping destinations then you will need to create a new sign customiser. 

2.2 Request a shipping cost matrix from your supplier/freight company

Using the size limits that you have established in task 1, request a shipping cost matrix from your supplier/freight company with those max dimensions. 

Here is an example of a shipping cost matrix you can send to your supplier for them to fill out. 

2.2 Using the cost matrix supplied by the supplier/freight company

Once you have received the cost matrix, do the following.

1. Navigate the matrix by working in steps of equal dimensions, e.g. each step would be 50cm by 50cm, 75cm by 75cm, 100cm by 100cm etc.
2. For each step using your shipping cost matrix find and record the shipping cost, this value can now be used to calculate your shipping cost per centimetre squared value.

What about When no shipping cost matrix is supplied?

It's most likely going to be easier to switch to our fixed width model as your supplier does not want to share this information with you and will make it difficult to work with. 

However, if you are still determined to use the advanced model then you can this process below, a fair warning though, as this process can be a bit laborious as you are essentially going to force them to supply these details to you by making them quote numerous sign dimensions so that you can acquire enough information to enter into your shipping costs.

The process is as follows. 

1. Ensure on your advanced model customiser you have the smallest size set to a scale multiplier of 1
2. Check to determine the accuracy of the font you are using
3. Enable Custom sizing on your sign customiser

4. Go to the customer-facing customiser and enter a sample text that fills both the width and height as equally as possible e.g. something like this example.

   

5. Using the custom sizing input on the customer-facing customiser, scale the sign size to where the width is a round number e.g. 50cm.
6. Take screenshots of the mockup and ensure the width and height are shown in each screenshot.
7. Repeat steps 5 to 6 so that you have multiple sizes recorded for the sample sign, e.g. for 50cm, 75cm, 100cm, 150cm, 200cm
8. Send your recorded sign sizes using the samples you have recorded in steps 5 to 6 and request that you would like to quote for all the sample designs, - Ensure with your supplier that the shipping price is a separate item from the total quote price. - Ensure that there is no acrylic backing for these quotes, this will ensure the sizes are accurate on the supplier's end. 

You will now have enough information from your supplier to accurately price your sign customiser.