In a small shop you almost have to have to charge for standard sizes - I have standard sizes and they pay for the next size up if the size isn't listed. I keep 18x24 coro and .040 alum blanks in stock. I'm OK cutting that in half, so they pay for either 9x12 or 18x24 - period unless there's a high quantity. The 4x8 sheets there's standard sizes they pay for and once the scrap gets under 24" they pay for the sheet. I had 4 sheets of .040 alum cut last week at 18x96...that left 4 scraps of 12x96 - pretty useless for me so they paid for the entire sheet. Alumalite or something like that I will allow a cut-off of 24"x48" and not charge for a full sheet but the smallest sign I typically make with alumalite is 24x48 so that's the smallest scrap I want laying around that isn't paid for. If they order only 1 or 2 odd ball sizes they pay for the next size up and I add a cut charge of $3 per cut if I cut for anything other than 18x24 or 9x12. I don't have a sheer so I try really hard to stick with standard sizes and less cuts. If it's large quantities I pay a little extra and order the blanks. Otherwise I cut in house or I pay a guy up the road to sheer them and that is a hassle.
People are more conforming to your standard sizes when you start charging cut fees or charge a minimum size fee.
That's exactly the idea of the lookup table.....I particularly like the part of "smallest scrap I want laying around that
isn't paid for"
Realistically, for yourself, having the rules in your head is enough. For staff, a grid with allowable sizes is enough (with extra markups or discounts or cut charges as desired listed as well).
An actual lookup table like I copy/pasted is more useful when a) staff *don't* look up the allowable cuts or b) when it's a self-self thing, like a website ordering system.
