Print Shop: Reams of Paper Needed

All versions

A ream is 500 sheets. Divide a job's total sheets by 500 and round up, and you know exactly how many reams to pull from the stockroom.

Quick formula: Total sheets divided by 500, rounded up:

=ROUNDUP(B2/C2,0)

A 3,000-sheet job is 6 reams exactly; a 2,600-sheet job rounds up to 6 as well, since you open a whole ream for the remainder.

Functions used (tap for the full reference guide):

ROUNDUP

The example

Three jobs with their total sheet counts and the reams to pull.

	A	B	C	D
1	Job	Total sheets	Sheets / ream	Reams
2	Job A	3,000	500	6
3	Job B	2,600	500	6
4	Job C	5,400	500	11

The formula

Round up because you open whole reams:

=ROUNDUP(B2/C2,0) // sheets / 500, round up

How it works

Stock is issued in whole reams:

B2 is the total sheets the job consumes.
C2 is sheets per ream — 500 for standard stock.
Dividing gives raw reams; ROUNDUP rounds to the next whole ream, because a remainder still means opening another.

Always print a few overs — add a small spoilage allowance to the sheet count before dividing.

Try it: interactive demo

Interactive

Enter the total sheets and sheets per ream.

Total sheets

Sheets / ream

Variations

Total sheets from copies and pages

Build the sheet count from copies times pages first.

=ROUNDUP(Copies*Pages/500,0)

Add spoilage

Pad for makeready and misfeeds before dividing.

=ROUNDUP(B2*(1+Spoilage)/C2,0)

Pitfalls & errors

Duplex jobs print two pages per sheet — divide page count by two before figuring sheets.

Specialty stock may pack differently (250 to a pack). Set the sheets-per-ream cell to match the actual carton.

Practice workbook

📊

Download the free Print Shop: Reams of Paper Needed practice workbook

Edit the yellow Total sheets and Sheets / ream cells; the Reams column rounds up.

Frequently asked questions

Why round up on an exact multiple?

It does not change exact multiples — 3,000/500 is 6. Rounding up only matters when there is a remainder, which still requires opening another ream.

How do I handle double-sided printing?

Halve the page count first: a 6-page duplex document uses 3 sheets, not 6.

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Function references: ROUNDUP