COST BASICS

What does a 3D print actually cost?

Build a cost estimate that goes beyond the weight of the finished part.

Updated 5 November 2026 · All numeric examples are illustrative.

Start with all the filament

Finished parts are only one use of filament. Add supports, purge material and the prime tower separately, using the figures from the actual sliced job. If a slicer gives a total that already includes waste, do not add that waste twice. For different filament prices, use a weighted average or calculate the material cost separately before entering an equivalent average rate.

Put machine and people on different clocks

Machine time covers the whole batch, including all plates. Hands-on labor covers preparation and finishing. Eight hours of unattended printing is not eight hours of paid operator work. In this calculator, setup is entered once per batch and finishing is entered per finished part.

A small worked example

At 24 currency units per kilogram, 100 grams costs 2.40. A machine averaging 180 watts for eight hours uses 1.44 kWh. At 0.20 per kWh, power costs 0.288, displayed as 0.29. These are illustrative inputs, not typical rates or a measured printer profile.

Remember what is outside the estimate

Enter packaging, shipping, overhead and a machine rate that reflects your own costs. Taxes are not calculated. If an expense is missing from the inputs, it is missing from the result.

Related: Full calculation method · All field notes