What goes into the cost of a 3D print
- Material – grams of filament × price per gram. Weight is estimated from the model volume and your infill.
- Electricity – printer power × print time × price per kWh. A typical FDM printer averages 100–200 W.
- Machine wear – nozzles, belts, build plates and the printer itself wear out; €0.10–0.50 per hour is common.
- Labour – slicing, removing supports, post-processing.
- Failure margin – some prints fail; 5–15 % covers it.
Pricing prints for customers
Add your markup on top of the cost. Small jobs often have a minimum price to cover setup time. For resin prints, use the resin calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is the weight estimate?
Within roughly 10–20 % for typical settings. For exact numbers, take the weight from your slicer and enter it via the volume (weight ÷ density).
Which electricity price should I use?
Use the price per kWh from your electricity bill, including taxes.