Managing Your Printer Library
Learn how to search, sort, and organize your printer collection
Overview
As your 3D printing business grows, you may accumulate multiple printers with different capabilities and cost profiles. The Printers page provides powerful tools to help you organize, search, and manage your printer library efficiently.
This guide covers all the features available for managing your printers, from basic search and sorting to understanding the statistics and organization tools.
Understanding the Printers Page Layout
Page Components
The Printers page is organized into several sections, each serving a specific purpose:
1. Statistics Cards (Top)
Three stat cards showing Total Printers, User Printers, and Average Cost/Hour across your entire collection.
2. Search and Sort Bar
Tools for filtering and organizing your printer list.
3. Your Custom Printers Table
Your personal printer library with full edit and delete capabilities.
4. Global Presets Table
Pre-configured printer profiles available to all users, with import functionality.
Statistics Dashboard
Total Printers
Shows the combined count of your custom printers plus all available global presets. This gives you a quick view of how many printer options you have available for use in the calculator.
What It Includes:
- • All printers you've created (source: user)
- • All global presets created by administrators (source: global)
- • Updates in real-time as you add or delete printers
User Printers
Shows only the count of printers you've personally created. This excludes global presets and helps you track the size of your personal printer library.
Use Cases:
- • Track how many custom printer configurations you've built
- • See if you need to consolidate duplicate entries
- • Monitor your library growth over time
Average Cost Per Hour
Displays the average depreciation cost across all printers in your combined library (both user and global). This is always displayed in USD and provides a benchmark for your printer costs.
Calculation:
Sum of all printer costs per hour ÷ Total number of printers
Example:
• Printer 1: $0.08/hour
• Printer 2: $0.12/hour
• Printer 3: $0.16/hour
Average: ($0.08 + $0.12 + $0.16) ÷ 3 = $0.12/hour
Tip: If your average cost per hour seems too high, consider whether you've overestimated printer prices or underestimated lifespans. Review your most expensive printers to identify opportunities for cost optimization.
Search Functionality
How Search Works
The search bar allows you to filter your printer list in real-time as you type. The search is case-insensitive and searches across multiple fields.
Searchable Fields
- Printer Name: Searches the full printer name
- Brand: Searches the manufacturer/brand field
Search Examples
Search by Model Number
Type: "MK3" to find all Prusa MK3 variants
Search by Brand
Type: "bambu" to find all Bambu Lab printers
Search by Partial Name
Type: "ender" to find all Ender printers
Search Behavior
- Search filters both your custom printers AND global presets simultaneously
- Results update in real-time as you type
- Matching is case-insensitive ("prusa" = "PRUSA" = "Prusa")
- Partial matches work (searching "lab" finds "Bambu Lab")
- Clear the search box to see all printers again
- Search works in combination with sort options
Tip: If you have many printers, use descriptive names that include keywords you'll remember. For example, "Prusa MK3S+ Office" is easier to find than "Printer 1".
Sort Options
Available Sort Methods
The sort dropdown allows you to reorganize your printer list based on different criteria. Sorting applies to both your custom printers and global presets.
Sort by Name (Default)
Alphabetically sorts printers from A to Z based on the printer name.
Sort by Brand
Groups printers by manufacturer, alphabetically (Anycubic, Bambu Lab, Creality, Prusa, etc.).
Sort by Price
Orders printers from lowest to highest purchase price.
Sort by Cost Per Hour
Orders printers from lowest to highest depreciation cost per hour.
Using Sort Effectively
Combine with Search: Apply a search filter first, then sort the results. For example, search "Prusa" then sort by cost per hour to find your most economical Prusa printer.
Price vs Cost Per Hour: These can give very different results. A cheap printer may have high cost per hour if it has a short lifespan, while an expensive printer may be economical if it lasts a long time.
Brand Sorting for Comparison: When evaluating whether to buy a new printer from a specific manufacturer, sort by brand to see all your existing printers from that brand and compare costs.
Table Organization
Custom Printers vs Global Presets
Printers are separated into two distinct tables to help you differentiate between your personal configurations and system-wide presets.
Your Custom Printers (Top Table)
- • Green icon indicators
- • Full edit and delete permissions
- • Add new printers via "Add Printer" button
- • Only visible to you
Global Presets (Bottom Table)
- • Blue icon indicators
- • Read-only for non-admins
- • Import button to copy to your library
- • Visible to all users
- • Admins can add/edit/delete (green "Add Global Printer" button visible to admins)
Table Columns
Both tables display the following columns:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Printer Name | Full name with colored icon (green for user, blue for global) |
| Price | Purchase price in your preferred currency |
| Cost per Hour | Calculated depreciation rate in your preferred currency |
| Actions | Edit, delete, or import buttons (depending on permissions) |
Note: The Price and Cost per Hour columns automatically convert to display in your preferred currency. If you change your currency preference in settings, these values update immediately.
Empty States and Messages
No Custom Printers
If you haven't created any custom printers yet, you'll see a helpful empty state in the Your Custom Printers table.
What You'll See:
- • Message: "No custom printers yet"
- • Quick link: "Add your first printer"
- • Clicking the link opens the Add Printer modal
No Search Results
If your search doesn't match any printers, both tables will show empty with appropriate messages. Clear your search to see all printers again.
Loading State
When the page first loads, you'll see "Loading printers..." while the system fetches your data from Firebase. This typically takes less than a second.
Best Practices for Library Management
Keep Names Consistent
Use a consistent naming convention. Include brand, model, and any distinguishing features. This makes searching and sorting much more effective.
Remove Duplicates
If you've imported a global preset and later created a similar custom printer, delete one to avoid confusion. Keep the version with the most accurate cost settings.
Regular Audits
Periodically review your printer library. Update lifespan estimates based on actual performance, and remove printers you no longer own or use.
Start with Global Presets
Before creating a custom printer from scratch, check if a global preset exists for your model. Import it and adjust the price to match what you paid, saving time on research.
Monitor Average Cost/Hour
Keep an eye on the average cost/hour stat. If it's significantly higher than your competitors' likely costs, investigate whether your lifespan estimates are too conservative.
Use Sort for Decision Making
When planning which printer to use for a job, sort by cost per hour to identify the most economical option that meets the print requirements.