Document Criteria

Cost statements are required on all STATE publications (N.C.G.S. § 143-170.1). The policy also applies to “PUBLIC documents” of which at least 200 copies are printed. A public document includes “any annual, biennial, regular and special report or publication” (N.C.G.S. § 143-169.2), but we recommend adding a cost statement to any print items (with 200+ copies) distributed to the public. This does not apply to internal communication pieces like agendas or other print materials developed for employee meetings, planning discussions and so forth.

Cost Statement Language

“(quantity) copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $_____ per copy.” The reported cost should include all printing costs in the form of labor and materials, as well as any other identifiable design and production costs.View the N.C. General Statute (Chapter 143, Article 13)

Calculating Print Cost

To help with calculating the cost for items printed in your office, such as materials printed for individual requests or local events, use this rough formula: *Cost of color ink cartridge: $25 Pages per color ink cartridge: 225 Cost per page printed = $0.11 (11 cents) As such, the final cost per copy would be $0.11 x the number of pages, counting a two-sided page twice. If it’s a 2-page color booklet (front and back printing), for example, the cost statement would say $0.44 per copy (4 pages x $0.11 = $0.44). *If you confirm a different price for the color ink cartridges in your office, just divide the price by 225 to get the price-per-page cost.