If you've ever wondered how much it costs to 3D print a part, the quick answer is: it depends. The price of a 3D printing job isn't a flat rate — it's the sum of a whole host of factors that often slip under the radar. In this guide, we're going to break it all down, from the gram of material to the last cent of electricity, so you truly understand how the final cost is calculated. 🤓
Uncovering the real cost of 3D printing 🧐
Calculating the price of a 3D printing job is about much more than adding up the material you've used. It means taking into account direct costs, indirect expenses, and even the value of your time. The goal? To arrive at a realistic figure that works both for budgeting your personal projects and for setting a fair price on your professional services.
If you'd rather calculate before you read, upload your STL or choose a preset and get cost per part + suggested sale price instantly. Open cost calculator →
To start with, having access to quality materials at a good price is essential. Thanks to specialist stores like Mr Resin, it's now easier and more affordable than ever to find the best resin for your 3D printer from leading brands, which opens up a world of possibilities for creators in Spain.
The rise of 3D printing in Spain 🇪🇸
The 3D printing sector has seen tremendous growth in our country. This growth has been especially notable in areas such as dentistry and scale modelling, where the increasingly accessible price of materials is driving large-scale adoption.
In fact, prices for the hobby market have fallen by 25–30% since 2020. This drop, driven by competition, has made quality 3D printers and resins far more affordable. As a result, adoption of this technology in Spanish fablabs has grown by 40% annually, consolidating a very powerful local ecosystem. If you'd like to dig deeper, you can read more about this market trend.
The main question that hits us all when starting out is always the same: which technology is cheaper in the long run? The short answer is that it depends on the type of parts you're going to make. We recommend taking a look at our article where we analyse whether filament or resin is cheaper for a complete overview.
Calculating material cost: straight to the point (and to the gram) ⚖️
Let's start with the most obvious factor — the one that stands out most when calculating the price of a 3D printing job: the material we use. Fortunately, it's also the easiest to measure accurately.
Here, your best ally is the slicer software (such as Chitubox, Lychee, or Cura). Before hitting "print," it will tell you the exact amount of material that will be used, including supports. It will usually give you this in grams (g) or milliliters (ml).
The magic formula for material cost ✨
The math here is straightforward, don't worry. You only need to know two things: how much the bottle of resin or the filament spool cost you, and the weight your slicer has given you.
The formula is: (Material price / Total grams in the bottle or spool) x Grams needed for the part = Material cost.
Let's look at a practical example. Imagine a bottle of water-washable resin weighing 1 kg (1000 g) costs you €30. Your model, including its supports, will use 50 grams.
The calculation is as simple as:
(€30 / 1000 g) x 50 g = €1.50
Easy as that! You now have the base material cost for that part. 🎉
Resin or filament? The eternal cost debate
Not all materials are equal or priced the same. Knowing how to choose is key to staying within budget and optimizing the price of a 3D printing job.
- Filaments for 3D printing: PLA and other filaments for 3D printing tend to be cheaper per kilogram. They're great for large prototypes, parts that need to take some punishment, or models where millimeter-level detail isn't a priority.
- 3D resins: Although their price per kilogram may be slightly higher, the quality and level of detail they achieve are in a completely different league compared to FDM. It's the winning choice for miniatures, jewelry, or anything that demands surgical precision.
Bear in mind that within resins there's a whole world of options. An ABS-like resin is perfect if you're looking for mechanical strength, while a high-definition resin is the queen when it comes to capturing even the finest detail. If you're curious and want to know how many parts you can get out of a bottle, don't miss our article on how much you can print with 1 liter of resin.
The hidden costs that impact your budget 🤫
This is where many people slip up when calculating the price of a 3D printing job. Thinking only about the material is like baking a cake and forgetting about the flour and the oven. In the end, you'll most likely end up losing money if you offer a service, or get an unpleasant surprise when you see the real cost of your hobby.
To calculate it like a professional, you need to factor in indirect expenses. Let's start with electricity consumption 💡. And no, it's not just the 3D printer. The computer where you prepare your files, the washing station, and the curing station are also plugged in for hours at a time. It may seem like a trivial expense, but cent by cent, the bill adds up.
Depreciation and consumables: the forgotten duo
Then there's equipment depreciation, a cost that almost nobody takes into account. Your 3D printer has a lifespan. Imagine it cost you €500 and you calculate it will last around 2,000 working hours before it calls it quits. Well, every hour of printing is "costing" you €0.25 that you should add to the final price.
And last but not least, consumables. Those small, sneaky expenses that eat into your budget if you don't keep a close eye on them:
- Nitrile gloves and a mask for your safety. 🧤
- Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) or alternatives to leave your parts spotless.
- Paper towels (you go through more than you'd think!).
- Key replacement parts like FEP/ACF films and, over time, LCD screens.
These materials wear out and their cost needs to be spread across all your prints. The 3D printing market in Spain is booming, especially in prototyping, which accounted for between 50-60% of applications in 2023. In such a competitive sector, keeping costs under control is essential, and having a trusted supplier like Mr Resin for your consumables makes all the difference. If you're curious, you can find out more about the growth of the 3D market in this report.
Accounting for these hidden costs is what separates a hobbyist from a professional. It ensures your service or hobby is sustainable in the long run and helps you avoid nasty surprises in your bank account. 💸
The value of your time: the human factor 🧑🎨
Up to now we've talked about tangible costs, numbers and materials. But we're missing the key piece — the most valuable one and, curiously, the one most often forgotten when doing the maths: your time. ⏳
Whether it's a hobby or a professional service you offer, every printing project consumes hours of work that you need to put a value on. Your time isn't free — it's your most important resource!
Stop and think about everything you do beyond just hitting the print button. There's all the preparation: optimising the 3D file, placing supports thoughtfully, slicing the model and adjusting the settings. Then comes monitoring the print and, of course, post-processing. This part can be very labour-intensive: washing the part, curing it, carefully removing the supports without leaving marks and, finally, cleaning all the equipment.
How much is your hour of work worth?
And if you also decide to go the extra mile and paint the part, the time really adds up. Sanding for a silky-smooth finish, primer, coats of paint, detail work and a final varnish... all of that adds hours and hours to a project.
To calculate the price of a 3D print fairly, you need to put a value on your time. A simple method to start with is to set a rate (for example, €10/hour) and multiply it by the total time you invest.
Quick example: If you spend 2 hours on the entire process (preparation and post-processing), at €10/hour, you need to add €20 to the final cost of your part. Simple as that — and just as crucial.
The price of 3D printing in Spain has become much more democratized. For engineering and design studios, savings on prototyping can reach 30-50% compared to traditional methods. These savings come not only from materials, but from the dramatic reduction in working hours and waiting times. This is a key factor driving the technology, as you can see in industry reports.
Optimizing this time is invaluable. Using quality products like Vallejo paints or premium brushes allows you to achieve much better finishes in less time. Indirectly, this reduces the total project cost and, more importantly, increases the value of your work.
Practical examples for calculating the final price 🔢
Theory is all well and good, but let's get to what really matters: practice. So you can see how all of this translates into euros, we're going to break down the price of a 3D print with two completely different projects. Let's get to it!
Case 1: Wargame miniature (28 mm)
Imagine you want to print a super-detailed figure for your tabletop army. It's a small piece, and here quality and definition are what matter most.
- Material: We'll use a high-definition resin so we don't lose a single detail. The figure is tiny and weighs just 10 grams. If we buy a 1 kg bottle for €40, the material cost is negligible: €0.40.
- Indirect costs: The print runs for about 2 hours. Adding electricity, printer depreciation, and FEP wear, we can round this up to around €0.75.
- Labor: This is the key factor. Post-processing (washing, curing, and carefully removing the supports) is painstaking work and takes around 30 minutes. If we value our time at a modest €10 per hour, that's already €5.
Total cost of the miniature: €0.40 (material) + €0.75 (indirect costs) + €5 (time) = €6.15. The takeaway: your time is worth far more than the resin!
Case 2: Functional prototype (15x10x5 cm casing)
Now we switch gears. Our goal is a large, sturdy piece — like a casing for an electronics gadget we're putting together.
- Material: We need it to hold up under stress, so we go with an ABS-like resin. The piece is considerably larger and more solid, weighing around 300 grams. With a 1 kg bottle at €35, the resin cost jumps to €10.50.
- Indirect costs: This is a long print, clocking in at 10 hours. Power consumption and machine depreciation weigh more heavily here, so we estimate around €3.
- Labor: Post-processing is faster and less delicate — 15 minutes is plenty. At €10 per hour, that comes to €2.50.
Total cost of the prototype: €10.50 (material) + €3 (indirect costs) + €2.50 (time) = €16. In this case, the material is the undisputed king of the cost.
As you can see, even though the formula is the same, the result changes completely depending on the project. If you want to know whether this type of work pays off in the long run, don't miss our article on whether 3D printing is profitable.
Conclusion 🏁
As you can see, calculating the price of a 3D print is not as simple as adding up the grams of material. It's a puzzle 🧩 where every piece matters: the material, electricity, machine wear, consumables, and above all, your time!
With this guide, you now have all the tools to set a fair price for your prints, make better decisions, and make sure no hidden cost catches you off guard. No more wondering whether you're making or losing money!
Now that you know how to do it, why not stop by our online store and take a look? At Mr Resin you'll find everything you need for your projects. 😉
And if you want to stay up to date with everything, join our Telegram channel. There we share discounts, coupons, news, and exclusive events. It's the perfect place to learn and save! We'll see you at https://t.me/MrResin3D.
Also remember to subscribe to our Newsletter to access more discounts, coupons, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox.
✨Happy Printing! 🚀
Frequently asked questions about 3D printing costs 🤔
To wrap up all the loose ends in this guide, we're going to answer some of the most common questions we come across when calculating the price of a 3D print — directly and without beating around the bush. Let's get to it!
What is cheaper, printing in resin or filament (FDM)?
This is the million-dollar question. As a general rule, filament (FDM) tends to be more affordable for large, functional prints where millimetre-level precision is not the top priority. The cost per kilogram of material is, in most cases, lower.
That said, resin — even though its price per kilogram may be slightly higher — is simply unbeatable for miniatures, jewellery, or any object that demands extreme detail. In many cases, the value that the final quality brings more than justifies that price difference.
How can I reduce the cost of my prints?
Absolutely — there are several tried-and-tested tricks to optimise costs without sacrificing quality. The most effective ones are:
- Hollowing out models: This is the golden tip, especially with resin. Not only will you use significantly less material, but you'll also reduce the risk of suction failures during printing.
- Orienting parts smartly: A good orientation can drastically minimise the number of supports you need. Fewer supports means less resin used and less post-processing time.
- Choosing materials wisely: You don't always need to use the most expensive resin in the catalogue. For prototypes or everyday projects, go for materials with a good value-for-money ratio.
Does layer height affect the price?
Yes, and quite significantly — though not so much in terms of material quantity. A higher resolution (i.e., thinner layers) causes print time to increase exponentially.
As we've already seen, this translates directly into higher electricity costs and greater machine wear (depreciation). These are two factors that, although sometimes overlooked, do add to the final price.
Is it really worth buying a washing and curing station?
Absolutely! 💪 Although at first it may seem like a considerable investment, the savings in labor time are massive. Think about all the hours you save cleaning and curing parts manually.
It also greatly improves safety when handling products like isopropyl alcohol and ensures a perfect, uniform finish on all your parts. It's one of those purchases that, once you have it, you wonder how you ever lived without it. It pays for itself much sooner than you think.