3D Print Pricing Tips & Best Practices
Learn how to price your 3D printing services profitably and competitively
Understanding Your True Costs
Before setting prices, you need to understand all the costs involved in 3D printing:
Direct Costs
- •Material: Filament cost per gram, including waste from failed prints and purging
- •Electricity: Power consumption during printing (typically 0.1 kWh per hour)
- •Printer Depreciation: Wear and tear on your equipment over time
- •Labor: Your time for preparation, post-processing, and finishing
Indirect Costs
- •Failed Prints: Account for prints that fail and need to be redone
- •Maintenance: Regular printer maintenance, replacement parts, and repairs
- •Overhead: Storage space, software subscriptions, utilities, insurance
- •Business Operations: Marketing, customer service, accounting, taxes
Setting Your Markups
Filament Markup (2.7x recommended)
The default 2.7x multiplier covers:
- • Material waste from supports and purging (~15-20%)
- • Storage and handling costs
- • Inventory carrying costs
- • Procurement time and effort
Tip: Adjust higher for specialty or expensive materials like carbon fiber or flexible filaments.
General Markup (50% recommended)
A 50% general markup provides:
- • Healthy profit margin
- • Buffer for overhead costs
- • Reinvestment in equipment
- • Business growth capital
Tip: Increase for complex jobs, rush orders, or premium services. Decrease for bulk orders or repeat customers.
Failure Rate (10% recommended)
The failure rate adjustment ensures you're covered when prints fail:
- • First layer adhesion issues
- • Mid-print failures
- • Quality issues requiring reprints
- • Client-requested changes
Tip: Track your actual failure rate and adjust accordingly. Experienced printers may use 5-8%, while beginners might need 15-20%.
Valuing Your Labor
Setting Hourly Rates
The default $20/hour is a baseline. Consider these factors:
- • Your skill level and experience
- • Local market rates for technical services
- • Complexity of the work required
- • Your desired annual income
Post-Processing Rate
Physical work like removing supports, sanding, painting. Often slightly lower than preparation rate since it's more manual labor.
Preparation Rate
Technical work like model repair, slicing, optimization. Often higher rate due to specialized skills required.
Pricing Strategies
Cost-Plus Pricing (Recommended)
Calculate all costs, then add your markup. This is what the calculator does:
Pros: Ensures profitability, easy to explain, consistent pricing
Value-Based Pricing
Price based on the value delivered to the customer, not just your costs:
- • Custom design work = higher value
- • Rush delivery = higher value
- • Functional prototypes = higher value than decorative items
- • Business clients = typically higher budgets
Market-Based Pricing
Research what competitors charge and position accordingly:
- • Premium positioning: 20-30% above market average (emphasize quality/service)
- • Competitive positioning: Match market rates
- • Budget positioning: 10-20% below market (focus on volume)
Special Pricing Considerations
Rush Orders
Add 25-50% for rush orders. They disrupt your workflow and may require overtime or priority scheduling.
Bulk Discounts
Offer 10-20% discounts for bulk orders (10+ identical items). Your per-unit labor cost decreases with volume.
Design Services
Custom 3D modeling should be priced separately at $30-75/hour depending on complexity and your skill level.
Repeat Customers
Consider loyalty discounts (5-10%) for repeat customers or those who refer new business to you.
Minimum Order Value
Set a minimum order value ($15-25) to ensure small jobs are worth your time and cover fixed costs.
Pricing Best Practices
- 1.Always provide quotes in writing
Include itemized breakdown showing materials, labor, and any additional fees
- 2.Be transparent about what's included
Clearly state whether price includes design, finishing, shipping, etc.
- 3.Track your actual costs
Review your calculator history monthly to ensure your pricing remains profitable
- 4.Adjust prices regularly
Review and update your rates every 6-12 months as costs change
- 5.Don't undervalue your work
Your expertise, equipment, and time have real value. Price accordingly
Common Pricing Mistakes to Avoid
Forgetting about your time
Always account for preparation and post-processing time. "Hands-off" printing time still requires your labor before and after.
Not accounting for failures
Failed prints cost you money. If you don't factor them in, you'll lose money over time.
Competing solely on price
Racing to the bottom on price isn't sustainable. Compete on quality, service, and reliability instead.
Ignoring indirect costs
Overhead like electricity, rent, insurance, and maintenance add up. Factor them into your general markup.