Global Printer Presets
Understanding and using pre-configured printer profiles
Overview
Global printer presets are pre-configured printer profiles created by system administrators that are available to all users. These presets provide a quick starting point with industry-standard cost settings for popular 3D printer models.
This guide explains how global presets work, how to use them effectively, and for administrators, how to manage them for all users.
What Are Global Presets?
Definition and Purpose
Global presets are printer configurations that exist at the system level rather than the user level. They serve as a library of common 3D printers with researched specifications and cost estimates.
Key Characteristics
- Available to all users in the system
- Created and managed by administrators
- Based on manufacturer specifications and industry research
- Include standard pricing estimates (usually MSRP or typical street price)
- Feature researched lifespan estimates from community data
- Can be imported to your personal library and customized
Benefits of Global Presets
Time Savings
No need to research printer specifications, prices, or lifespan estimates for common models. The work has already been done.
Accuracy
Presets are based on aggregated data and manufacturer specs, providing more reliable lifespan estimates than guesswork.
Quick Start for New Users
New users can immediately start calculating costs without setting up custom printers first.
Consistency
All users working with the same printer model can start from the same baseline, making comparisons and collaboration easier.
Finding and Using Global Presets
Locating Global Presets
Global presets are displayed in the "Global Presets" section on the Printers page, below your custom printers table.
- Navigate to Dashboard → Printers from the sidebar
- Scroll past the "Your Custom Printers" section
- Find the "Global Presets" table with blue header indicators
- Browse available printers or use the search/sort tools
Using Global Presets Directly
You can use global presets in the calculator without importing them. When selecting a printer in the cost calculator, both your custom printers and global presets appear in the dropdown.
When to Use Directly:
- • You're testing or comparing different printer models
- • You want a quick estimate without customization
- • The preset's price matches what you paid (or close enough)
- • You don't need to save custom settings for this printer
When to Import Instead:
- • The preset's price doesn't match what you actually paid
- • You want to adjust the lifespan based on your experience
- • You use this printer regularly and want it in your personal library
- • You want to distinguish it (e.g., "Prusa MK3S+ - Office Location")
Importing Global Presets
Importing creates a copy of the global preset in your personal library, which you can then customize.
How to Import
- Find the printer you want in the Global Presets table
- Click the green "Import" button on the right side of the row
- The printer is immediately copied to your "Your Custom Printers" section
- Edit the imported copy to adjust price, lifespan, or name as needed
Important: Imported printers are independent copies. Changes you make won't affect the global preset, and updates to the global preset won't affect your imported copy.
Customizing Imported Presets
After importing, you should customize the printer to reflect your actual costs:
Typical Customizations:
- Update Price: Change from MSRP to what you actually paid (sale price, used price, etc.)
- Adjust Lifespan: Update based on your actual experience or more conservative/optimistic estimates
- Rename: Add location, modifications, or other identifiers (e.g., "Prusa MK3S+ (Workshop)")
- Include Upgrades: Add the cost of essential upgrades to the price if you made them immediately
Global Presets vs User Printers
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Aspect | Global Presets | User Printers |
|---|---|---|
| Created by | Administrators | Individual users |
| Visibility | All users | Owner only |
| Can edit | Admins only | Owner only |
| Can delete | Admins only | Owner only |
| Can import | Yes (creates user copy) | No |
| Use in calculator | Yes, directly | Yes, directly |
| Price reflects | Typical/MSRP pricing | Your actual purchase price |
| Source field | 'global' | 'user' |
Best Practice: Use global presets for exploration and comparison, then import and customize the ones you actually own for accurate cost calculations.
For Administrators: Managing Global Presets
Administrator Privileges
Users with administrator privileges have full control over global presets and can create, edit, and delete them for all users.
Admin Capabilities:
- • Create new global presets via "Add Global Printer" button (green, in Global Presets section)
- • Edit existing global presets using the edit icon
- • Delete global presets using the delete icon
- • All changes affect all users immediately
Adding Global Presets
Administrators should add global presets for commonly used or popular 3D printers.
How to Add
- Click "Add Global Printer" (green button in Global Presets section - admin only)
- Fill in the printer name, brand, price, and lifespan
- You'll see a blue notification indicating it will be available to all users
- Click "Add Printer" to save
- The printer immediately appears in all users' global presets
Research Guidelines for Admins:
- • Use manufacturer MSRP or typical street pricing
- • Research community forums for real-world lifespan data
- • Check manufacturer MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) specifications
- • Consider aggregating data from multiple sources for accuracy
- • Be conservative with lifespan (slight overestimation of costs is safer than underestimation)
Editing Global Presets
Administrators can update global presets to reflect new information, price changes, or improved lifespan estimates.
When to Edit
- Manufacturer updates pricing significantly
- New community data reveals different typical lifespans
- Typos or errors discovered in existing presets
- Printer model gets a significant hardware revision
Deleting Global Presets
Administrators can remove global presets that are no longer relevant or accurate.
When to Delete
- Printer model discontinued and rarely used
- Duplicate entries exist (consolidate to one)
- Preset contains significantly incorrect information that can't be trusted
Important for Admins: Editing or deleting global presets does NOT affect user printers that were imported from those presets. Users who imported a preset before your changes will keep their independent copy with the old values.
Admin Tip: When adding global presets, focus on popular, widely-used printer models first. Users can always create custom printers for obscure or heavily-modified machines.
Common Questions
Can I edit a global preset directly?
No, unless you're an administrator. Regular users must import the preset to create their own editable copy.
What happens if I import a preset and then the admin updates it?
Nothing. Your imported copy is independent. Admin updates to the global preset won't affect your personal copy.
Can I import the same preset multiple times?
Yes. Each import creates a new copy in your library. This is useful if you own multiple units of the same printer model - import once for each unit and rename them distinctly.
Do I have to import a preset to use it in the calculator?
No. You can select and use global presets directly in the calculator without importing. Import only when you want to customize the cost settings.
If I delete an imported printer, does it affect the global preset?
No. Deleting your imported copy has no effect on the global preset. Other users can still see and use the global preset.
How do I know if a printer is a global preset or my custom printer?
Global presets are in the "Global Presets" section with blue icons. Your custom printers are in the "Your Custom Printers" section with green icons.
Best Practices
For Regular Users
Check Presets First
Before creating a custom printer from scratch, always check if a global preset exists for your model. It can save significant research time.
Import and Customize
Import global presets for printers you own, then update the price to match what you actually paid for maximum accuracy.
Trust the Lifespan Estimates
Global preset lifespans are researched values. Unless you have specific reason to believe otherwise, trust these estimates as a good starting point.