Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about 3D printing costs, filament pricing, and selling your prints.
How much does it cost to 3D print something?
The cost of a 3D print depends on the weight of filament used, print time (electricity), and any additional costs like labour or packaging. A typical small print (50g PLA, 2 hours) costs roughly £0.50–£1.50 in materials and electricity at UK rates. Use our free calculator to get an accurate figure for your specific print.
What is a good price per gram for PLA filament?
Budget PLA typically costs £0.015–0.020 per gram (around £15–20 per kg spool). Mid-range brands like Polymaker or eSUN PLA+ cost £0.020–0.030/g. Premium options like Prusament cost £0.030–0.040/g. The free calculator defaults to £0.025/g which is a reasonable midpoint for most users.
How do I calculate electricity cost for 3D printing?
Multiply your printer's power draw (in kilowatts) by print time (hours) by your electricity rate (per kWh). A 200W printer running for 3 hours at £0.34/kWh costs: 0.2 × 3 × 0.34 = £0.20. Our calculator does this automatically — just enter your print time.
How should I price my 3D prints for Etsy?
Start with your total cost (material + electricity + packaging + your time), then apply a markup of 200–300% for a healthy margin. Factor in Etsy's fees — 6.5% transaction + £0.20 listing + 3.25% payment processing. Our calculator has an Etsy fee option built in so you can see exactly what you'll keep after fees.
What markup should I use for 3D printed products?
Most successful 3D printing sellers use a 200–400% markup on raw costs. A 200% markup means you charge 3× your cost — covering materials, electricity, and leaving profit. If your cost is £1.50, charge at least £4.50. Adjust based on your market and how much your time is worth.
How do I account for failed prints in my pricing?
If 1 in 10 prints fails, your effective cost per successful print is 10% higher. Add your failure rate as a percentage to your total cost before applying a markup. The free calculator includes a failure rate field that does this automatically.
What are Etsy's fees for 3D printed items?
Etsy charges: a £0.16 listing fee per item, 6.5% transaction fee on the sale price including shipping, and 3.25% + £0.21 payment processing fee. On a £10 sale you'd pay roughly £1.50 in fees total. Our calculator shows you the exact breakdown.
How do I calculate the cost per gram of filament?
Divide the spool price by the spool weight in grams. A £19.99 1kg spool = £19.99 ÷ 1000 = £0.020 per gram. The free calculator includes a spool price helper — just enter the spool price and weight and it calculates this for you.
Does print quality affect cost?
Print quality settings affect print time but not material cost significantly. A higher-quality print at 0.1mm layers takes roughly 2× as long as a 0.2mm print, doubling electricity cost. For most small prints the electricity difference is small — material weight is the bigger cost driver.
How much does it cost to run a 3D printer per hour?
At UK electricity rates (£0.34/kWh), a 200W printer costs about £0.068 per hour to run. At US rates ($0.12/kWh) a similar printer costs around $0.024/hour. Our calculator adjusts automatically based on your country and allows you to enter your exact printer wattage.
Should I include my time when pricing 3D prints?
Yes — especially for Etsy and other selling platforms. Time spent on design, slicing, print monitoring, removal, post-processing, packaging, and customer service all has value. Even at a modest £10/hour, 30 minutes of work adds £5 to your cost. The free calculator includes a labour rate field.
What is the difference between the Free and Pro plan?
The free calculator is the complete cost engine — material, electricity, shipping, platform fees, labour, machine wear, failure rate, packaging, overhead, multi-material rows, batch pricing and VAT / sales tax. Pro adds the business suite around it: filament inventory, SKU manager, saved history with cross-device sync, your printer fleet, Etsy CSV analytics with a revenue dashboard, and a print-farm simulator.
Ready to calculate your print cost?
Use the free calculator — no sign-up required.