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Reference / explanation

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Version 1.4 · Updated November 1, 2026 · View changes

Understand cash, ROI, allocations and asset costs.

Screenshots use sample data. Your prices, license level and settings may differ.

When to use this reference

Use this reference when interpreting cash, ROI, cost allocations and printer asset values in Reports.

Key concepts

Cash after investment starts with the printer and one-time costs paid. Crossing zero marks payback.
The report summary puts investment, payback, cash position and ROI side by side for each case. Open full size
Return on initial investment divides cumulative cash by the initial investment. It starts at -100% and reaches 0% at payback.
One-time license cost / completed order allocates the one-time costs over completed orders. It is not a recurring fee.
Remaining printer book value decreases with depreciation based on hours used and rated life.
Cumulative hands-on labor shows labor paid for completed orders. Cumulative asset depreciation lowers book value; it is not a cash payment.
If payback is not within the horizon, the entered assumptions do not reach it in the selected period.

How to interpret the result

Cash crossing zero marks payback. ROI reaches zero at payback; depreciation reduces book value rather than cash.

Limits and assumptions

Reports model the current quote using the entered demand, capacity and savings assumptions.
Not within the horizon means payback is not reached in the selected period under those assumptions.

Related help

Use the related workflow guides or create a support ticket if a result does not match the entered assumptions.

Workflow at a glance

Review the current quote, set the reporting horizon, enter printer cases, inspect payback and cash, then export the report.

Formulas and worked examples

All amounts must use the same currency. Convert percentages to fractions when a formula uses a rate: 40% = 0.40.

Cash, ROI and payback

Initial investment and net cash

\begin{gathered}I=P_{\mathrm{printer}}+C_{\mathrm{model/design}}+C_{\mathrm{other}} \\ N_t=R_t-C_{\mathrm{cash},t}\end{gathered}

Initial investment = Printer purchase + Model/design cost + Other one-time cost
Monthly net cash = Monthly revenue − Monthly cash costs

TeX source

I=P_{\mathrm{printer}}+C_{\mathrm{model/design}}+C_{\mathrm{other}} \\ N_t=R_t-C_{\mathrm{cash},t}

Worked example: An $800 printer plus $100 of model/design costs and $100 of other one-time costs starts with a $1,000 investment.

Reports pays these costs at month 0. Depreciation is excluded from monthly cash costs, so the printer purchase is not paid a second time.

Live Excel example · edit inputs and see results

Blue cells are editable. Results recalculate as you type. Each example is a separate sheet; percentages entered as inputs use whole numbers, such as 40 for 40%.

Initial investment and net cash — Excel cells and live results
	A · Description	Excel formula in B
1	Printer purchase ($)	`Editable input`
2	Model/design cost ($)	`Editable input`
3	Other one-time cost ($)	`Editable input`
4	Initial investment ($)	`=SUM(B1,B2,B3)`
5	Monthly revenue ($)	`Editable input`
6	Monthly cash costs ($)	`Editable input`
7	Monthly net cash ($)	`=B5-B6`

Try in WolframAlpha ↗

Use these examples to learn the formula. They do not change your saved quote. Division by zero shows a message instead of a misleading number.

Cash position and ROI

\begin{gathered}K_T=-I+\sum_{t=1}^{T}N_t \\ \mathrm{ROI}(\%)=\frac{K_T}{I}\times100\end{gathered}

Cash position = −Initial investment + Sum of monthly net cash
ROI (%) = Cash position ÷ Initial investment × 100

TeX source

K_T=-I+\sum_{t=1}^{T}N_t \\ \mathrm{ROI}(\%)=\frac{K_T}{I}\times100

Worked example: Start with $1,000 and earn $1,200 in cumulative net cash. Cash position is +$200 and ROI is 20%.

This is the Reports convention: ROI starts at −100% and reaches 0% at payback. It is not an annualized rate. With zero initial investment, the app shows ROI as not available. The live sheet holds monthly net cash constant; Reports calculates each month separately.

Live Excel example · edit inputs and see results

Blue cells are editable. Results recalculate as you type. Each example is a separate sheet; percentages entered as inputs use whole numbers, such as 40 for 40%.

Cash position and ROI — Excel cells and live results
	A · Description	Excel formula in B
1	Initial investment ($)	`Editable input`
2	Monthly net cash ($)	`Editable input`
3	Months elapsed	`Editable input`
4	Cumulative net cash ($)	`=B2*B3`
5	Cash position ($)	`=-B1+B4`
6	ROI	`=IFERROR(B5/B1,"Not available")`

Try in WolframAlpha ↗

Use these examples to learn the formula. They do not change your saved quote. Division by zero shows a message instead of a misleading number.

Payback period

\begin{gathered}T_{\mathrm{payback}}=\frac{I}{N},\quad N>0\end{gathered}

For constant positive monthly net cash:
Payback months = Initial investment ÷ Monthly net cash

TeX source

T_{\mathrm{payback}}=\frac{I}{N},\quad N>0

Worked example: A $1,000 investment earning $200 net cash per month pays back in 5 months. After 6 months, cash is +$200 and ROI is 20%.

The report uses actual modeled monthly cash, not this constant-cash shortcut. It finds the first zero crossing and interpolates within that month. If cash never reaches zero in the chosen horizon, payback is not within the horizon.

Live Excel example · edit inputs and see results

Blue cells are editable. Results recalculate as you type. Each example is a separate sheet; percentages entered as inputs use whole numbers, such as 40 for 40%.

Payback period — Excel cells and live results
	A · Description	Excel formula in B
1	Initial investment ($)	`Editable input`
2	Monthly net cash ($)	`Editable input`
3	Payback months	`=IF(B1=0,0,IF(B2>0,B1/B2,"Not reached"))`

Try in WolframAlpha ↗

Use these examples to learn the formula. They do not change your saved quote. Division by zero shows a message instead of a misleading number.

Remaining book value

\begin{gathered}V=\max\!\left(0,P_{\mathrm{printer}}-\sum D\right)\end{gathered}

Book value = Purchase price − Cumulative depreciation

TeX source

V=\max\!\left(0,P_{\mathrm{printer}}-\sum D\right)

Worked example: An $800 printer with $200 of accumulated depreciation has a $600 remaining book value.

Reports caps depreciation so book value cannot go below zero. Zero rated lifetime disables depreciation and lifetime capacity capping in the report.

Live Excel example · edit inputs and see results

Blue cells are editable. Results recalculate as you type. Each example is a separate sheet; percentages entered as inputs use whole numbers, such as 40 for 40%.

Remaining book value — Excel cells and live results
	A · Description	Excel formula in B
1	Purchase price ($)	`Editable input`
2	Cumulative depreciation ($)	`Editable input`
3	Remaining book value ($)	`=MAX(0,B1-B2)`

Try in WolframAlpha ↗

Use these examples to learn the formula. They do not change your saved quote. Division by zero shows a message instead of a misleading number.

Change log (5 entries)

Version 1.4November 1, 2026
Added WolframAlpha links using live inputs and increased equation, explanation and spreadsheet text sizes. Tightened image frames and spacing while retaining full-size enlargement.
Version 1.3November 1, 2026
Typeset formulas in TeX and added live Excel examples with editable inputs, cell formulas, results and copying to Excel. Reduced inline diagram previews while keeping full-size enlargement.
Version 1.2October 31, 2026
Replaced workflow cards with flowcharts using input, decision, document and start/end symbols, labeled branches and revision paths.
Version 1.1October 30, 2026
Expanded the article layout to use the full available page width.
Version 1.0October 30, 2026
Started change tracking for the current article. This version includes structured guidance, topic tags, app screenshots, a workflow diagram, formulas and worked examples.

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