The Business of 3D Printing: A Guide to Smart Pricing
Turning your 3D printing hobby into a side hustle or a full-blown business is an exciting venture. But one of the biggest challenges is figuring out what to charge. Underprice your work, and you'll lose money; overprice it, and you'll struggle to find customers. This guide breaks down the key factors our calculator uses to help you price your prints accurately and profitably.
Core Costs: More Than Just Plastic
The most obvious cost is the material itself, but several other factors contribute to the real cost of a print.
- Filament Cost: This is your direct material expense. By knowing the cost of a full spool and the weight of your print (information your slicer software provides), you can calculate the exact material cost per piece. We recommend a wide variety of quality filaments here.
- Electricity: While not a huge expense per print, it adds up over time. A typical hobbyist 3D printer might use 200-300 watts while running. Factoring this in ensures all your overheads are covered.
- Printer Wear & Tear: Your printer is a machine with moving parts that wear out. Nozzles, belts, and fans all need periodic replacement. The "Printer Rate" ($/hr) is a way to set aside a small amount from each print to cover these future maintenance costs and the eventual replacement of the machine. A rate of $0.50 to $1.50 per hour is common.
The "Hidden" Costs: Labor and Failures
Your time and the reality of imperfect prints are two of the most commonly overlooked costs.
- Labor: Your time is valuable. This includes the time spent preparing the file for printing, removing the print from the bed, cleaning up supports, packaging, and shipping. Using good finishing tools can speed up this process. Don't work for free—pay yourself an hourly wage!
- Failure Rate: No one has a 100% success rate. Prints can fail due to bed adhesion issues, clogs, or power outages. By adding a small failure rate percentage (5-10% is typical), you build a buffer into your pricing model. This ensures that the cost of failed prints is covered by your successful ones, protecting your overall profitability.
- Hardware Costs: If your print requires non-printed components like magnets, screws, or inserts, be sure to add those direct costs to the total.
From Cost to Price: Wholesale vs. Retail
Once you have the true total cost of your print, you can decide on a sale price. A common strategy is to use a multiplier.
- Wholesale Pricing (e.g., Cost x 4): This is a lower price point you might offer to someone who is buying in bulk or will be reselling your item in their own shop.
- Retail Pricing (e.g., Cost x 8): This is the price a final customer would pay on a platform like Etsy or at a craft fair. This higher margin covers your marketing, platform fees, and the value of your unique design. The Etsy Seller's Guide can be a valuable resource for navigating this market.
