Print Shop Order Management: Track Plotter Workload
Print shop order management gets hard when every job waits for the same plotter and nobody can tell how much cutting is already booked for the day. This video, just over two minutes long, shows how to monitor a plotter’s workload and manage orders with the Planner in Planfix. It covers plotter workload tracking with an order queue, statuses and totals that help prevent production bottlenecks and missed deadlines.
What you’ll learn in this video
- See how an order moves from the Inbox list through the table columns (0:07).
- Create an object for plotter orders with a cut-length field (0:39).
- Configure the statuses of the order queue (1:04).
- Set up the Planner with an Inbox list, an order table and a load limit (1:20).
Print shop order management in Planfix: the 4 steps from the video
The steps follow the video’s chapters. For the full settings with screenshots, see the step-by-step order buffer setup for plotter operation in our case study.
Step 1 (0:39). Create an object for plotter orders
Start with a custom object for plotter orders: go to Account Management → Types of objects and click New Object (before the July 2026 update, this section was called Objects). The new card already has fields for the customer, due dates and assignee. Add the cut length as a Number field: in the object form, click the plus button to create it. Put it on the main panel of the card so the plotter’s load is visible as soon as someone opens an order.
Step 2 (1:04). Configure statuses for the order queue
For print job status tracking, the object’s set of statuses defines the order lifecycle. It starts with the standard Planfix statuses, and the video first removes the ones it doesn’t need. To build a custom status set for the order lifecycle, click Add status to set, pick an existing status or click the plus button to create one, then choose the allowed transitions from and to it. The video adds In progress now and Ready for production; use names that fit your print production queue.
Step 3 (1:20). Create a Planner with an Inbox list
In the Planner tab, click the Add icon at the bottom of the planners panel, select Planner and enter a name. By default, only the creator can open a new planner, so click its name to give the managers and the operator access. Then add the first list:
- name it Inbox and choose the Cards type;
- set selection parameters so it collects processed orders waiting for the plotter;
- show the cut length on the cards;
- turn on the totals section in Planner lists to add up cut length and see the overall load.
Step 4 (1:38). Add a Today’s Orders table with a load limit
Add a second list of the Table type. In the video, its columns are grouped by status and its rows by completion date. A Table needs specific values, so list the statuses for the columns: In progress, In progress now and Ready for production. Then choose which order data the cards display. The final touch is a limit and a color indicator on the total cut length, so the plotter isn’t overloaded. The result is production order tracking in one table.
Example: a daily machine capacity limit of 250,000 mm
In the video, managers add processed orders to the Inbox and enter the cut length right away. The operator moves orders from the Inbox into the first column (In progress) to build the queue, then takes them one by one.
The video doesn’t name a limit value. In the case study, the plotter’s daily limit is 250,000 mm, set in the table’s totals section, and the header turns red once the queue goes over it, alerting the operator and the managers processing orders. The case study notes the same approach fits furniture and textile companies.
Who this print shop workflow is for
- Print and sign shops: one plotter, many orders and a daily cut-length limit.
- Managers taking orders: enter the cut length when adding a processed order to the Inbox.
- Plotter operators: take orders one by one from a single queue and see the total load under the list heading.
FAQ
Do I need a print MIS to manage orders in a small print shop?
It depends on what you need. The setup in this video gives you an order queue, order statuses and the daily load of one machine in the Planner. Pricing and quotes aren’t shown in the video.
Does dragging an order to another column change its status?
Yes. A moved order takes on the selection parameters of the target list or table cell, so dropping it into In progress now sets that status. If the target list has several standard conditions, only the last one is applied.
Why doesn’t an order show up in the Planner?
It may not match the list’s selection parameters, or automation may have changed it so it no longer matches. A Table loads up to 50 orders per row (150 if it has no rows); load the rest with a button or narrow the selection parameters.
Build your print production queue
Start print shop order management with one machine: an order object, a cut-length field and a Planner with an Inbox and a Today’s Orders table. For a broader look at fields and statuses, watch how custom objects and statuses work. New to Planfix? Start your free trial.
This video was featured in What’s New in Planfix: April 2026.
