How to Price a 3D Print
Build an FDM or resin 3D-print price from slicer material, electricity, machine time, labor, post-processing, failure risk, and margin without confusing margin with markup.
Publisher Published by EverydayCalc Editorial Editorial standards and limitations
Each calculator shows its formula and defines the inputs. Worked examples make the math checkable. The page also names the limits that can change the result.
In brief
Short answer
Start with slicer material and print time, add electricity, machine time, hands-on labor, consumables and post-processing, adjust for expected failures, then apply either markup or target margin consistently.
- Use slicer grams or milliliters instead of model-file size.
- Separate machine hours from hands-on labor.
- Track failed jobs so risk is based on real production data.
Build the job cost in layers
Material, electricity, machine time, labor, consumables, packaging, and post-processing answer different questions. Keeping them separate lets you update a spool price, hourly rate, or failure assumption without guessing at the whole quote.
Failure risk belongs before profit
Expected failure cost is part of production cost. Use your own failed-job history when available, and avoid presenting a single success-rate assumption as a guarantee for a new material, machine, or geometry.
Margin and markup are not interchangeable
Markup adds a percentage to cost. Margin is profit divided by selling price. A 25% markup on a $20 cost produces $25, while a 25% target margin requires a price of $26.67.
3D-print quote components
| Scenario | What to use | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Slicer grams or milliliters × unit cost | Include supports, purge, reserve, and disposable resin supplies |
| Electricity | Average watts × print hours × kWh rate | Include curing, wash, enclosure, or drying equipment when material |
| Machine time | Print hours × machine-hour allowance | Use a documented allowance for depreciation, maintenance, and capacity |
| Hands-on labor | Setup, monitoring, removal, cleanup, and finishing time | Do not bill unattended print hours as hands-on labor |
| Profit | Markup or target margin | Choose one method and label it clearly |
Real examples
- A 42-gram FDM job from a $24 one-kilogram spool costs $1.01 in raw filament and about $1.11 after a 10% material buffer, before power, machine time, and labor.
- A $20 total job cost with a 25% markup produces a $25 quote, while a 25% target margin produces a $26.67 quote.
- A resin quote should include resin used, supports, gloves, cleaning fluid, film wear, wash and cure time, and hands-on cleanup rather than resin alone.
Mistakes to avoid
- Pricing from STL file size instead of slicer output.
- Counting unattended print time as hands-on labor.
- Applying profit before adding expected failure cost and consumables.
- Using markup and margin as if they produce the same selling price.
- Treating a calculator result as a guaranteed marketplace price.
When this estimate is not enough
- The model's license does not allow commercial use.
- The part is safety critical, regulated, load bearing, food contact, medical, or otherwise requires validated materials and processes.
- The geometry, finish, tolerance, color match, shipping, tax, or marketplace fee is not defined.
- A new machine, resin, filament, or profile has no reliable success-rate history.
Formula and methodology
The guide uses an activity-based quote: direct material and energy, machine capacity, hands-on work, consumables, expected failures, then a clearly labeled profit method. It does not infer demand, marketplace price, or product fitness.
Source notes
- Prusa Research's pricing material supports separating filament, electricity, labor, and printer costs instead of using filament alone.
- Calculator examples use the site's existing formula records and should be replaced with actual slicer and production data for a real quote.
FAQs
Quick questions
Should I charge for every print hour as labor?
No. Separate unattended machine time from setup, monitoring, removal, cleanup, finishing, packing, and customer communication.
How do I include failed prints?
Use your documented failure rate for similar jobs when possible, and include expected failed-job material, power, and machine time before profit.
What is the difference between margin and markup?
Markup is profit divided by cost; margin is profit divided by selling price. Label the method because the same percentage produces different prices.
Sources
Source boxes list references used for factual claims, safety notes, energy rates, product-sizing conventions, or official data points.