How much can I save if I reduce my magazine’s trim size by one sixteenth of an inch?

How much will it cost if I use heavier paper stock?

How much would I save if I reduced each issue by eight pages?

To answer questions like these you need the Magic Formula.  The Magic Formula calculates magazine weight… and needless to say, weight is important because it drives the cost of postage.

No hocus-pocus required.  To use the Magic Formula, just enter the numbers into your calculator in this order:

L x W x BW /950 /500 /2 x PP = LB

-L x W is your magazine’s trim size.

-BW is the basis weight of the magazine's paper, such as 38# or 45#.

-PP is the number of pages.

-LB is the weight of the magazine in pounds.  Multiply by sixteen for ounces.

Repeat the process for components printed on different stock, like covers or inserts… then add component weights together.

Trim size, paper stock, and page count all work together to drive expense, and relatively small adjustments can have a large impact on cost.  Here’s a quick example.

A magazine with an 8 x 10 trim size, 96 pages on 40 pound paper stock, and four pages of covers on 70 pound paper weighs 5.55 ounces.  (Use the formula to check). 

Remove an eighth of an inch off both the length and the width… switch to 36 pound stock… and reduce the page count by 16 pages... and now the magazine weighs 4.14 ounces—25 percent lighter than the original.

Roughly one third of any magazine’s postage costs are weight-related.  Thus, a 25 percent weight reduction will lower costs by about seven cents on the dollar—a significant savings.

The Magic Formula doesn’t always produce miracles, but you’ll find it incredibly useful in what-if exercises that involve trim size, paper stock, or changes in page count.

Shazam!