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Turn emailed specs into priced drafts with MCP

An AI assistant connected through QuoteCloud's MCP service can be set up to read the spec, build a draft from your template and product library, and leave it for your estimator.

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QuoteCloud's MCP service, on the Essentials plan and up, lets an AI assistant work with QuoteCloud. For a sign or print business it can be set up to read a spec email or website enquiry, find the client, create a draft from your template and add lines from your product library. Drafts wait for your estimator; nothing is sent automatically.

Last reviewed by the QuoteCloud team

An engineered drawing of an estimator's bench at a fictional sign and print business, Morrowgate Print & Signs: a spec email in the inbox tray, the quote template, the product library (a carton, a cutting forme and a pallet of cartons) and a draft quote on a clipboard, joined by one highlighted route. Four illustrative steps light in turn: the assistant reads the spec, creates a draft from the template, adds lines from the library, and the estimator checks it. The email from Marcus Vale asks for 1,200 printed cartons, 240 × 160 × 90 mm, kraft board, 2 colours. The draft for Fernhollow Tea Co., marked Draft, not sent, lists 1,200 printed cartons at $1,548.00, a cutting forme at $680.00 and pallet delivery at $95.00, $2,555.30 inc tax; Rafe Okonjo checks it and sends it himself.

Three requests from this morning's inbox, as drafts

An emailed carton spec, a website enquiry for exhibition graphics and a reorder of last year's shippers. Open each one to see the request, the steps your assistant can be set up to take, and the draft it leaves for Rafe.

1 The email, as Marcus sent it

The request

EmailMarcus Vale, Fernhollow Tea Co. · Mon 9 Nov, 7:42 am
Carton quote, please. Hi Rafe, can you quote 1,200 printed cartons, 2 colours, same size as the sample we dropped in (240 × 160 × 90 mm), kraft board? Delivered to our Northgate warehouse by mid-March. Thanks, Marcus
Quantity
1,200
Size
240 × 160 × 90 mm
Board
Kraft
Print
2 colours
Deliver to
Northgate warehouse
Needed by
Mid-March

2 What your AI assistant can be set up to do

  1. Finds the clientFernhollow Tea Co., with Marcus Vale as the contact
  2. Reads the spec1,200 · 240 × 160 × 90 mm · kraft · 2 colours · Northgate · mid-March
  3. Creates a draft from your template"Printed carton quote", with the spec as data items
  4. Adds lines from your product libraryCartons at 1,200, with 2,500 and 5,000 as alternatives; forme; delivery
  5. Checks your approval rulesUnder $5,000 with no discount: no approval needed

Illustrative: with QuoteCloud's MCP service, an AI assistant you connect can be set up to take steps like these, within the access you give it. They are examples, not a fixed list of tools.

3 A draft from your carton template

Draft · not sent
Morrowgate Print & SignsPrinted carton quote MP-P-3108 Sample · fictional business

Gift-range cartons for Fernhollow Tea Co.

For Marcus Vale · MP-P-3108

Your cartons

Cartons · choose a quantityChoose one

1,200 printed cartons, 240 × 160 × 90 mmKraft board, 2 colours one side
1,200 $1.29 $1,548.00
2,500 printed cartons, 240 × 160 × 90 mmSame spec, longer run
2,500 $1.11 $2,775.00
5,000 printed cartons, 240 × 160 × 90 mmSame spec, longest run
5,000 $1.03 $5,150.00

One-off

Cutting formeKept on file for reorders
1 $680.00 $680.00
Pallet delivery to NorthgateOne drop, tail-lift
1 $95.00 $95.00
Subtotal
$2,323.00
Tax (10%)
$232.30
Total
$2,555.30

Rafe Okonjo reviews itChecks the board price and the forme, attaches the dieline proof, sends.

Sent to Marcus Vale for proof sign-off and signature demo, nothing sent

1 The website form, as Jonah filled it in

The request

Website quote formJonah Pereira, Orrin Health · Sat 7 Nov, 9:15 pm
Stand 14 at the regional health expo, 3 m × 2.5 m. We need a back wall, two pull-up banners and something for the counter. Logo files attached.
Stand
3 m × 2.5 m
Back wall
1
Pull-up banners
2
Counter
1
Event
Fri 4 Dec

orrin-logo-files.zip, as sent

2 What your AI assistant can be set up to do

  1. Reads the formStand 3 m × 2.5 m · back wall · 2 banners · counter · Fri 4 Dec
  2. Creates a draft from your template"Display & large-format quote", with the stand details as data items
  3. Adds lines from your product library3 m pop-up wall, 2 roller banners, counter wrap; spare set as an option
  4. Checks your approval rulesOver $2,500, so it goes to Ines for approval before it can be sent

Illustrative: with QuoteCloud's MCP service, an AI assistant you connect can be set up to take steps like these, within the access you give it. They are examples, not a fixed list of tools.

3 A draft from your display template

Draft · not sent
Morrowgate Print & SignsDisplay & large-format quote MP-L-1186 Sample · fictional business

Stand 14 graphics for Orrin Health

For Jonah Pereira · MP-L-1186

Your stand graphics

Display

3 m straight pop-up wallPrinted fabric, frame and wheeled case
1 $1,890.00 $1,890.00
Roller banners 850 × 2000 mmPrinted film, stand and bag
2 $265.00 $530.00
Counter wrapPrinted fabric over our folding counter
1 $340.00 $340.00

OptionsTick to add

Spare graphics setFor a second stand or next year's change
1 $640.00 $640.00
Subtotal
$2,760.00
Tax (10%)
$276.00
Total
$3,036.00

Rafe Okonjo reviews itConfirms the stand size with Jonah, then submits it for Ines to approve.

Sent to Jonah Pereira for proof sign-off and signature demo, nothing sent

1 The reorder request

The request

Reorder requestMarcus Vale, Fernhollow Tea Co. · Mon 9 Nov, 8:05 am
Hi Rafe, same shipper cartons as last November please, 2,500 again. Can they land before the 20th? Marcus
Last job
MP-P-2711 · Nov 2025
Quantity
2,500
Artwork
No changes
Needed by
Before the 20th

2 What your AI assistant can be set up to do

  1. Finds last year's jobMP-P-2711: 2,500 shipper cartons, November 2025
  2. Prepares the reorder as a draftSame lines and artwork, at this year's prices from your product library
  3. Notes what's on fileThe cutting forme is kept from last time: a $0 line
  4. Checks your approval rulesNone apply

Illustrative: with QuoteCloud's MCP service, an AI assistant you connect can be set up to take steps like these, within the access you give it. They are examples, not a fixed list of tools.

3 A draft from last year's job

Draft · not sent
Morrowgate Print & SignsReorder quote MP-P-3240 Sample · fictional business

Shipper cartons, as last November

For Marcus Vale · MP-P-3240

Your reorder

Cartons

2,500 shipper cartons, 300 × 200 × 200 mmKraft board, 1 colour, as MP-P-2711
2,500 $0.96 $2,400.00
Cutting forme On fileOn file from MP-P-2711
1 $0.00 $0.00
Pallet delivery to NorthgateOne drop, tail-lift
1 $95.00 $95.00
Subtotal
$2,495.00
Tax (10%)
$249.50
Total
$2,744.50

Rafe Okonjo reviews itConfirms this year's board price and the delivery date, sends.

Sent to Marcus Vale for proof sign-off and signature demo, nothing sent

  • Drafts, not sends. What the assistant prepares waits as a draft for your estimator.
  • Your approval rules still apply. A big total or discount still goes In Review (Business).
  • A person sends it. Nothing reaches the client until someone on your team sends it.
  • It reads only what you allow. You choose which clients, products and documents it can see.

Illustrative, with a fictional business: nothing is sent. With QuoteCloud's MCP service (Essentials and up) an assistant works within the access you give it. It uses your template, your product library and the figures in your estimating sheet; it doesn't invent prices, and what it prepares is a draft.

What it reads, what it prepares, what stays with your team

You decide these when you set the connection up. They are choices about your business, not a screen in QuoteCloud.

  1. It can read

    Only what you allow

    • The requestA spec email, a website quote form, phone notes typed up by the office.
    • Your clients and past jobsTo find the client and last year's order for a reorder.
    • Your templates and product libraryStocks, substrates, finishes and labour at your prices.

  2. It can prepare

    A draft, for review

    • A draft from the right templateWith the spec as data items and the request quoted.
    • Lines from your product libraryRun lengths as alternatives when your template offers them.
    • A check against your approval rulesA big total or discount still goes In Review on the Business plan.

  3. Always a person

    Your estimator decides

    • Checking the prices and the specBoard, stock and make-ready come from your sheet and rates.
    • Attaching the proofArtwork and dielines come from your artwork team.
    • Sending it to the clientNothing reaches the client until someone on your team sends it.

Prefer rules to an assistant? A website quote form can also create a quote from your template through the QuoteCloud API, Zapier or Make, filling data items and adding price lines. Neither route ticks options or chooses content blocks.

After the check, it's an ordinary QuoteCloud quote

Once Rafe has checked the board price and attached the dieline proof, he sends the draft like any other quote. Marcus compares the three run lengths, picks 2,500, ticks the proof checks and signs, and the 30% deposit is paid through PayPal as he does.

The activity shows where the quote came from: prepared from the email through MCP, reviewed and sent by Rafe, then chosen, approved and signed, with a certificate of authenticity.

Packaging & carton quotes
Morrowgate Print & SignsPrinted carton quote MP-P-3108 Sample · fictional business

Your cartons

Cartons · choose a quantityChoose one

1,200 printed cartons, 240 × 160 × 90 mmKraft board, 2 colours one side
1,200 $1.29 $1,548.00
2,500 printed cartons, 240 × 160 × 90 mmSame spec, longer run
2,500 $1.11 $2,775.00
5,000 printed cartons, 240 × 160 × 90 mmSame spec, longest run
5,000 $1.03 $5,150.00

One-off

Cutting formeKept on file for reorders
1 $680.00 $680.00
Pallet delivery to NorthgateOne drop, tail-lift
1 $95.00 $95.00
Subtotal
$3,550.00
Tax (10%)
$355.00
Total
$3,905.00
Deposit on signing (30%)
$1,171.50

Dieline & artwork proof Proof 1

FERNHOLLOW FERNHOLLOW 240
Size 240 × 160 × 90 mm, regular slotted carton Stock Kraft board Colours 2 inks: forest green and black Cut line Crease
Before you approve, please check
Wording, barcode area and panel order are right
Flaps and glue tab are where I expect
I understand colours on screen are a guide only

Colours on screen are a guide only, and ink on kraft prints darker than it looks here. We can run a press proof on request.

Proof approved by Marcus Vale, Operations manager · Thu 12 Nov 2026 · signed online

Accept, sign and pay

Marcus Vale · Operations manager, Fernhollow Tea Co.

Signed online · Thu 12 Nov, 3:40 pm

Deposit on signing (30%)

$1,171.50

Paid via PayPalPay with card or PayPal

Certificate of authenticity and audit trail attached

Activity

  1. Draft prepared from the emailBy your AI assistant, through MCP
  2. Reviewed and sentRafe Okonjo
  3. 2,500 chosenUnit price $1.11
  4. Proof approved and signedCertificate of authenticity attached

Wherever the spec turns up

Sign and print work rarely arrives as a tidy form. These are the requests an assistant can be set up to start from.

  • Spec emails

    "1,200 printed cartons, 2 colours, same size as the sample." The email is quoted in the quote, with its figures as data items.

  • Website quote forms

    Stand size, banner count, event date. The form's answers become the draft's details; see integrations.

  • Phone notes

    The office types up the call and the assistant drafts from the notes, so the estimator starts from a quote, not a blank page.

  • Reorders

    "Same as last November." It finds the last job and prepares it at this year's prices; see reorders.

Try QuoteCloud with your own templates and product library

Free for 14 days, no credit card required. MCP, the Spreadsheet block and the product library are on the Essentials plan and up.

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Setting up AI quoting with MCP, in five steps

What a sign and print business does to get spec emails turning into drafts its estimators check.

  1. Get the quote right first

    One template per kind of job, with your estimating sheet and your materials library behind it.

  2. Connect your assistant

    Connect the AI assistant you use to QuoteCloud's MCP service, on Essentials and up.

  3. Choose what it can see

    Which clients, templates, products and past jobs it may read; nothing else.

  4. Review every draft

    Your estimator checks prices, attaches the proof and fixes anything the spec left out.

  5. A person sends it

    Then the client approves the proof, signs and pays the deposit.

AI quoting questions from printers and sign makers

What is QuoteCloud's MCP service?

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is a standard way for an AI assistant to work with other software. QuoteCloud's MCP service, on the Essentials plan and up, lets an assistant you connect work with your QuoteCloud account. For a sign or print business it can be set up to turn a spec email, a website enquiry or a reorder into a draft quote from your template.

Does the AI send quotes to my clients?

No. What the assistant prepares is a draft. Your estimator checks the prices and the spec, attaches the artwork or dieline proof and sends it. Your approval rules still apply, so a large total or discount goes In Review on the Business plan before anyone can send it.

Where do the prices in an AI-prepared draft come from?

From you. The assistant adds lines from your product library, and the prices your estimating sheet works out stay your own formulas and rates. It doesn't invent prices or quantity breaks. If a spec needs something new, your estimator prices it during the review.

What can the assistant see?

Only what you allow when you set up the connection: for example your clients, your templates, your product library and past jobs for reorders. Choose what suits your business and leave the rest out.

Which plan do I need for AI quoting with MCP?

QuoteCloud's MCP service is on the Essentials plan and up, along with the Spreadsheet block, the product library and the API and Zapier. Approval workflow, which can hold a drafted quote In Review until a manager approves it, is on the Business plan.

Is this the same as the AI Co-Worker?

No. The AI Co-Worker (Business plan) helps your staff inside the QuoteCloud editor, and what it writes is flagged until someone accepts it. The MCP service connects an outside AI assistant to QuoteCloud, so it can prepare drafts from requests that arrive elsewhere, such as your inbox.

More questions from sign makers and printers

Everything a sign and print business sends

From the spec in the inbox to the signed-off proof.

Spend the morning checking drafts, not retyping specs

Free for 14 days. No credit card required.

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