How to price a 3D print

Pricing goes wrong in two steps. First the cost is understated, because only filament gets counted. Then a percentage is added on top of that wrong number and called a margin — which it is not.

Fill in the print below. The three price levels are built around the margin you want, not around a number we invented.

Filament usedgPart weight — supports and purge are added by the waste factorPrint timeh

Material

Printer

Sales channel

ElectricityUSDper kWhYour hour of workUSDZero means “I do not count my time”. A fair choice, but it is the most common reason a workshop runs at a loss without knowingConsumables per plateUSDAlcohol for washing, gloves, filters — spent per print, not per hour. Mostly a resin thing; on filament it is usually zero

Your selling priceUSDLeave empty to see the recommended one

Preparation, post-processing, hardware and packaging. Without them the cost treats your time as free

True cost

$2.38

everything included, per unit

Profit per unit

$1.61

Per machine-hour

$0.81/h

Your selling price

$3.99

Break-even

$2.38

Three price levels — tap to apply

Where the money goes

Filament$2.16

Wear & maintenance$0.16

Failed prints$0.04

Electricity$0.02

Margin and markup are not the same percentage

Margin is a share of the price. Markup is a share of the cost. They describe the same sale from opposite ends, and they are never equal: a 35% margin means a 54% markup, and someone who adds 35% to cost ends up with a 26% margin — a quarter less than they thought.

The confusion costs money in both directions, which is why the app shows one next to the other on your own number.

Price ends where the buyer decides, not where the formula does

A calculator can tell you the floor — below this you lose money — and a target. It cannot tell you what your buyer will pay. That is why the result offers three levels instead of one figure: careful, target, bold. Pick the one you can defend.

Filament cost calculatorWork out the filament cost of a print from grams and spool price — including the waste a slicer never shows you.
Pricing 3D prints for EtsySet a price for a 3D printed item on Etsy and see what actually reaches your pocket after fees and tax.
Is 3D printing profitable?Whether printing for sale pays off depends less on the part than on what your printer earns per hour of work.
Markup is not marginAdding 35% to your cost does not leave you a 35% margin. Here is the difference, in money, on your own numbers.