Question 1

How do I calculate the cost of a 3D print?

Accepted Answer

Add up material cost (filament grams × price per gram), electricity (print hours × printer wattage × your kWh rate), machine depreciation (printer price ÷ lifetime hours × print hours), labor for setup and post-processing, and waste (supports, brim, purge). Then divide by (1 − failure rate) to get the expected cost per successful print. This tool does all of that automatically.

Question 2

How much does 1 gram of filament cost?

Accepted Answer

Divide the spool price by the spool weight. A $25 spool of 1000 g PLA costs $0.025 per gram, so a 100 g print uses $2.50 of filament before waste. Enter your actual spool price in this calculator for an exact figure.

Question 3

How much does it cost to 3D print something in PLA?

Accepted Answer

A typical 100 g PLA part costs roughly $3–$6 in filament and electricity, plus labor and machine wear. Multicolor prints can cost several times more because purge waste often exceeds the part weight. Use the calculator above with your own rates.

Question 4

How do I calculate resin 3D printing cost?

Accepted Answer

Resin cost = resin volume used (model + supports + wash loss) × price per ml, plus consumables per print: FEP film (film price ÷ prints per film), IPA wash, gloves and paper towels, plus electricity, machine depreciation and post-processing labor. The resin tab models all of these.

Question 5

How much electricity does a 3D printer use per print?

Accepted Answer

Multiply print hours by the printer's average power draw in watts, divide by 1000 to get kWh, then multiply by your electricity rate. Example: 12 hours × 220 W = 2.64 kWh; at $0.15/kWh that is about $0.40.

Question 6

What is purge waste in multicolor 3D printing?

Accepted Answer

Purge (poop) waste is filament flushed when switching colors on systems like Bambu AMS. Each color change flushes 1–6 grams depending on settings, so a print with 200 swaps can waste 600 g or more — often 2–3× the part weight. The Waste Lab tab estimates this for your print.

Question 7

How much filament do supports waste?

Accepted Answer

Support waste depends on geometry: light tree supports add roughly 5–15% of the model weight, normal supports 15–25%, and heavy supports 25–40% or more. Use your slicer's support weight if available, or the presets in the calculator.

Question 8

How should I price my 3D prints to sell?

Accepted Answer

Start from your true expected cost (including failure uplift), then set a target margin or markup, and gross it up for platform fees: listed price = (target + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − fee %). The quoting tab computes this, including an option to add sales tax or VAT on top.

Question 9

What is the difference between markup and margin?

Accepted Answer

Markup is profit as a percentage of cost (price = cost × (1 + markup)), margin is profit as a percentage of price (price = cost ÷ (1 − margin)). A 40% margin needs a 66.7% markup — they are not the same number.

Question 10

How do I account for failed 3D prints in pricing?

Accepted Answer

Divide your per-print cost by (1 − failure rate). With a 10% failure rate, expected cost = cost ÷ 0.90, about 11% higher. Failed prints still consume filament, electricity and machine time, so this uplift applies to the full cost.

Question 11

Can I calculate cost from an STL or G-code file?

Accepted Answer

Use your slicer's reported filament weight (grams) and print time — that is the most accurate source because it accounts for infill, walls and supports. This calculator does not read STL files; it works from those slicer numbers, which keeps it fast and private. The gcode preview's filament estimate is the same number this calculator expects.

Question 12

How do I quote a batch of multiple 3D printed parts?

Accepted Answer

Add each part to the Batch Planner with its quantity. The planner totals unit costs, machine hours and material, and estimates calendar days at your daily printer utilization, then you can push the batch total into the quoting tab.

Question 13

What are typical FEP film and IPA costs per resin print?

Accepted Answer

A $13 FEP film lasting 40 prints costs about $0.32 per print. IPA wash at 60 ml per print from a $15/liter bottle adds about $0.90. Together with gloves, consumables typically run $1–$2 per resin print.

Question 14

Is this 3D print cost calculator free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. It is completely free, runs 100% in your browser with no account, and none of your data ever leaves your device.

Question 15

How is this different from printpal.io?

Accepted Answer

Printpal offers separate print-cost and resin-cost tools. This calculator combines FDM and resin in one tool and adds two things printpal does not have: a dedicated waste model (multicolor purge, prime tower, support factors) and a multi-job batch planner with quoting margin and platform-fee gross-up.

Question 16

How accurate is this 3D print cost calculator?

Accepted Answer

The math is exact for the numbers you enter; accuracy depends on your inputs. Use your slicer's gram and hour figures, your real spool and resin prices, and your actual electricity rate. Treat results as planning estimates — material prices and printer efficiency vary.

3D Print Cost Calculator (FDM + Resin)

FDM Print Cost

Waste

Machine & labor

Result

Resin (SLA/MSLA) Print Cost

Consumables (per print)

Machine, labor & failure

Result

Waste Lab — the cost nobody quotes

Multicolor purge (AMS / toolchanger)

Support estimator

Volume → grams (for purge tower & custom parts)

Batch Planner — quote multi-part orders

Quoting — cost → selling price

How the math works

Frequently asked questions

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