3D Printing Calculators

FDM core & costs

3D Print Cost & Profit Calculator

Turn a sliced job into a shop number: plastic, kWh, wear and the minutes you actually touch the printer. Millimetres and grams are native; the unit toggle converts mass for US scales without changing the currency math.

Inputs

Units
g

Slicer estimate or scale the finished part. Imperial shows ounces.

/kg

Price of the spool divided by its net plastic mass.

h

Slicer time, or stopwatch if you baby-sit first layers.

W

Heated-bed machines often average 80–180 W; measure with a plug meter if you can.

/kWh

Your tariff per kilowatt-hour in the same currency as filament.

/h

Nozzles, belts, grease and eventual replacement, spread over hours.

/h

What an hour of your time is worth for setup, support removal and packing.

h

Not the same as print time. Overnight jobs often need 15–40 minutes of labour.

%

100% doubles cost into a selling price. Platforms still take fees on top.

Results

Filament cost
$5.50
Electricity cost
$0.19
Wear allowance
$1.20
Labour cost
$10.00
Total cost
$16.89

Sum of plastic, power, wear and labour.

Suggested selling price
$33.78
Gross profit at that price
$16.89

Recommended gear

Calculation method

Filament cost = (mass_g / 1000) × price_per_kg. Electricity cost = (average_W / 1000) × hours × rate_per_kWh. Wear = wear_per_hour × hours. Labour = labour_rate × hands-on_hours. Total cost is the sum of those four. Suggested selling price = total cost × (1 + markup/100). Profit at that price is selling price minus total cost. Mass is stored in grams; the imperial toggle shows ounces without changing the kilogram price basis.

Exact formula

Filament cost = (g / 1000) × price per kg. Electricity = (W / 1000) × hours × rate. Wear = wear/hour × hours. Labour = rate × hours. Total cost is the sum. Selling price = total × (1 + markup/100). Profit = selling − total. Limits: Failed prints, shipping, CAD time and tax are omitted; markup is not a marketplace fee.

What this model leaves out

Failed prints, shipping boxes, CAD time and tax are not in the four cost lines. Add them as extra labour hours or a higher markup if they are real in your shop.

High-ticket machines

A CoreXY or multi-colour printer changes hours and sometimes watts. Recalculate wear if nozzles and AMS parts are expensive consumables.

Frequently asked questions

Should I use slicer mass or a scale?

Slicer mass is a start. Weighing the finished part (and purge) is better when you sell. Foam, silk and wood-fill filaments throw slicer density off.

Why is labour separate from print time?

The printer can run unattended. You still spend time on plates, supports, QC and packing. Overnight jobs with 20 minutes of labour should not be billed as eight labour hours.

Does markup include marketplace fees?

No. If Etsy or a print service takes 15%, raise markup or add that fee on top so profit stays real.

How does the Metric/Imperial toggle work here?

Only filament mass converts (g ↔ oz). Prices, watts and hours stay in the same numbers. Electricity is still kWh.

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