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Pricing API

The Pricing API exposes deterministic cost estimation capabilities for print manufacturing jobs.

It converts structured production specifications into pricing outputs that can be consumed by applications, partners, and internal services.

Purpose​

The Pricing API is designed to answer questions such as:

  • What is the estimated manufacturing cost of this book?
  • How does cost change with run length?
  • Which cost components are driving the price?
  • Which print partners are economically viable?

It acts as a pricing interface to the Book Pricing Engine.

Typical Inputs​

A pricing request may include fields such as:

  • trim size
  • page count
  • print run
  • interior color mode
  • cover specification
  • binding type
  • paper selection
  • finishing options
  • delivery region

The quality of the pricing output depends on the quality and normalization of these inputs.

Processing Model​

The Pricing API passes normalized job data to the pricing layer, which evaluates cost components such as:

  • paper
  • printing
  • binding
  • setup
  • finishing
  • logistics assumptions where applicable

The result is returned in a structured and inspectable format.

Output Structure​

Typical output may include:

  • total estimated cost
  • unit cost
  • cost breakdown
  • pricing assumptions
  • eligible print partners
  • selected production option

This makes the output useful for both UI display and downstream routing.

Deterministic Behavior​

The Pricing API should be deterministic for equivalent inputs.

This means that the same normalized payload should produce the same pricing result, unless upstream pricing data has intentionally changed.

This property is essential for trust, auditing, and reproducibility.

Validation​

Before pricing begins, the API should validate:

  • required fields
  • supported enumerations
  • numeric ranges
  • internal consistency across the specification

Invalid input should be rejected with structured validation errors.

Integration Role​

The Pricing API may be used by:

  • the user-facing assistant
  • quoting workflows
  • production recommendation systems
  • internal orchestration services
  • print order creation flows

It is one of the main entry points into the production intelligence system.

Relationship to Other Engines​

The Pricing API does not operate in isolation.

Its output may feed:

  • Production Intelligence
  • Compatibility evaluation
  • Matchmaker routing
  • order creation logic

This makes pricing part of a larger decision chain rather than a standalone calculator.

Response Principles​

Pricing responses should aim to be:

  • structured
  • explainable
  • deterministic
  • integration-friendly

Where possible, the API should expose assumptions explicitly rather than hiding them.

Long-Term Evolution​

Future versions of the Pricing API may support:

  • comparative pricing scenarios
  • partner-specific quotes
  • dynamic cost models
  • tender generation
  • margin-aware pricing controls
  • logistics-aware total cost outputs

This would further strengthen PrintPrice as a full manufacturing decision platform.