KNOW THE COST. CHOOSE THE PRICE.

3D Printing
Cost Estimator

Q: Can STL tell me the actual filament weight?

No. A closed STL can provide geometric volume, but actual material use depends on walls, infill, supports and waste. Prefer total weight from your slicer.

Q: Is profit margin the same as markup?

No. Price at a 30% gross margin equals cost divided by 0.70. A 30% markup equals cost multiplied by 1.30.

Q: How are failed prints included?

Print costs are divided by one minus the failure rate, assuming each failed attempt consumes a full print. Labor and packaging are added once per completed job.

Q: Does changing currency convert my inputs?

No. Currency changes the display unit only. Enter every monetary input in the same currency. Tax and shipping are excluded.

Filament is only the beginning.
Put time, energy and your work in the picture.

Your print

Currency

Editable example values, not market prices. Use one currency throughout; changing the label does not convert amounts.

01 / Material & time

Total filament weight gInclude supports, brim and purge waste. Filament price / kg Print time hoursUse 1.5 for 1 h 30 min. Failure rate %Illustrative; use your measured rate.

Have an STL, but no slicer weight? +

Measure a single closed shell locally. This gives a 100% solid estimate, not a sliced filament prediction. No print-time estimate is inferred.

STL coordinate unitsMaterial density exampleDensity g/cm³Confirm with your filament’s data sheet.

Up to 50 MB / 500,000 triangles. Files stay on your device.

Multiple shells and invalid topology are rejected. Complex self-intersections are not detected; verify with a slicer. Infill, walls, supports and extrusion waste change the actual weight.

02 / Machine & electricity

Average power W Electricity price / kWh Printer purchase cost Useful printer lifetime hours Maintenance allowance / hour

03 / Your work & pricing

Prep & finishing time minutes Labor rate / hour Packaging & other fixed cost Target gross margin %Margin is a share of the selling price.

01 / OPEN FORMULAS

How we calculate
3D printing cost

Materialweight (g) ÷ 1,000 × price per kg

Electricityprint hours × average W ÷ 1,000 × price per kWh

Machinehours × (printer cost ÷ lifetime hours + maintenance/hour)

Expected print cost(material + electricity + machine) ÷ (1 − failure rate)

Total job costexpected print cost + labor + packaging

Price at target gross margintotal cost ÷ (1 − margin)

02 / THE REST OF THE RECEIPT

What people forget

A spool price is not the full cost of a print. The small extras add up.

Failed prints

Use your own failure history. The default 5% is an example, not an industry rate. Early failures often use less than a whole print.

Your working time

Include slicing, support removal, sanding and packing. Printer run time and human work time are different costs.

Supports & waste

Use total slicer weight, including supports, brim, purge and other waste. Solid STL volume does not describe those toolpaths.

Shipping & tax

Add the costs that apply to your order separately. The displayed estimate excludes shipping, payment fees and tax unless you include fees in fixed costs.

Real power usage

Average measured watts are more useful than the power supply rating. Bed temperature and the room change consumption.

Margin vs. markup

A cost of 10 at a 30% gross margin needs a price of 14.29. Adding 30% to cost gives 13, a margin of only 23.08%.

03 / GEOMETRY IS NOT A TOOLPATH

Use your slicer for weight and time

This 3D printing cost calculator works without a model file. Copy the total grams and print hours from your slicer for the most useful inputs. An optional STL measurement gives enclosed geometric volume × your material density, assuming a completely solid object. It cannot predict walls, infill, supports, layer height, speed or purge routines.

The approach to material, labor and machine costs is consistent with Prusa’s explanation of printing costs. The editable numbers above are examples; use your actual bills, material specifications and operating history.

04 / FAQ

Understand the estimate

Can STL tell me the actual filament weight?+

No. A closed STL can provide geometric volume, but actual use depends on walls, infill, supports and waste. Prefer the total weight from your slicer.

Is profit margin the same as markup?+

No. Price at a 30% gross margin is cost ÷ 0.70; a 30% markup is cost × 1.30. We use gross margin and show the resulting price.

How are failed prints included?+

Print costs are divided by one minus your failure rate. Each failed attempt is assumed to consume a full print, while labor and packaging are added once per completed job. Adjust your rate to reflect actual experience.

Does changing currency convert my inputs?+

No. It only changes the displayed unit. Enter all prices and rates in that same currency. Tax and shipping are excluded.