MSI Calculator (Thousand Square Inches)
Calculate material usage and costs for flexible packaging, labels, and paper rolls.
What is MSI in Packaging?
In the printing and flexible packaging industry, MSI stands for Thousand Square Inches (where 'M' is the Roman numeral for 1,000). It is the standard unit of measurement used to determine the amount of material required for a job and to calculate the associated costs of films, foils, and papers.
The MSI Calculation Formula
To calculate MSI, you first find the total square inches of the project and then divide by 1,000. The mathematical formula is as follows:
MSI = (Width in Inches × Length in Inches × Total Quantity) / 1,000
Why Use MSI Instead of Square Feet?
While many industries use square feet, the packaging industry relies on MSI because it allows for high-precision pricing on thin substrates. Since labels and pouches are often small, calculating in square inches provides more accuracy, and grouping them by the thousands makes the numbers more manageable for procurement and inventory teams.
Example Calculation
Imagine you are ordering 20,000 labels. Each label has a width of 4 inches and a repeat length of 6 inches. The material cost is $0.50 per MSI.
- Step 1: Calculate Total Square Inches: 4″ × 6″ × 20,000 = 480,000 sq in.
- Step 2: Convert to MSI: 480,000 / 1,000 = 480 MSI.
- Step 3: Calculate Cost: 480 MSI × $0.50 = $240.00.
Common Conversions
- 1 MSI = 1,000 Square Inches
- 1 Square Foot = 0.144 MSI
- 1 MSI = 6.944 Square Feet