How much does 3D printing cost?

What does a 3D print cost?

A 3D print costs the weight in grams times € 0.19. There are no set-up costs, and the print time is already included in that price per gram. If the result comes out below € 8.00, you pay the minimum of € 8.00. All amounts include 21 percent VAT; shipping is added if you do not collect your print.

The exact price is fixed once we have run your model through the slicer. The calculator gives you an estimate beforehand, and within 48 hours of your request the exact amount is in your quote.

What determines the cost of 3D printing?

With us, weight is the basis of the price. On top of that, a few choices and circumstances play a part. Here they all are, with what they cost with us.

Weight and volume

The price follows the weight of your print, meaning the amount of material that goes into it, not its outer dimensions. A print is not solid inside: there is a sturdy wall around it and an infill pattern within. How heavy a model becomes therefore depends on the volume, the walls and the infill. Two models with the same outer dimensions can come out differently. Want to work that out for your model? On the pricing page you can calculate the price per cm³ or drop your STL file into the calculator.

Infill

Inside the walls the printer prints an infill pattern. We print with 20 percent infill by default; that is plenty strong for most prints. More infill makes a print heavier and therefore more expensive. If a part needs to be extra sturdy, mention in your request what it is for and we will advise you on the infill.

Layer height and finish

A printer builds your object up layer by layer. As standard we print with layers of 0.20 mm, at no extra charge.

Quantity

If you order more pieces of the same model, you get a volume discount: 10 percent from 5 pieces, 15 percent from 10 pieces. You see that discount straight away in the price estimate and in the quote.

Rush

With a rush order your print gets priority in the schedule, at a 25 percent surcharge. We confirm feasibility in the quote.

Supports and orientation

Parts that stick out a long way temporarily need support while printing, and that takes extra material. How a model is best placed on the print bed and how much support it needs is something we decide in the slicer, after your request. That is why the quote can differ slightly from the calculator estimate. Usually that is a few euros at most, and you always see why.

Shipping or pick-up

A small parcel, up to about 750 grams, costs € 4.50 and a large parcel € 6.95. Pick-up in The Hague is free; we share the address with the quote.

A design if there is no model yet

If you have no model yet and it cannot be found anywhere, design costs are added. Simple design work costs a fixed amount from € 29.00, with one revision round. Larger work costs € 49.00 per hour, with an estimate of the hours up front. You pay design costs once: if you order the same thing again later, you only pay the printing price. If a part, photo or drawing needs redrawing, read on at having a custom 3D model made. Want something new designed? See having a custom 3D design made.

What does it cost to have something 3D printed?

What you pay depends mainly on what you send us. There are three ways:

• With a file (STL, 3MF, OBJ or ZIP) you only pay the printing price, plus shipping if you do not collect. You can price an STL yourself beforehand in the calculator, the request form prices a 3MF straight away, and we quote OBJ and ZIP by hand.
• With a link to a model you also only pay the printing price, plus shipping if you do not collect. You do not need to download the file yourself first.
• With just an idea, design costs are added, because the model still has to be drawn. You then get the quote within 3 to 5 working days.

Requesting a quote is free, and if you decline the quote, it costs nothing. How sending in your model works step by step is explained on having something 3D printed.

Per gram, per hour or with a starting fee: how print services charge

If you compare prices from different print services side by side, you see big differences. That is partly because they charge in different ways:

• Per gram: you pay for the material that goes into your print. The heavier the print, the higher the price.
• Per cm³: the price follows the volume of the model rather than its weight.
• Per hour: you pay for the time the printer is running. A slow, fine print then costs more than a quick one.
• With a starting fee: a fixed amount per order or per print, on top of the material or the print time.

Because the material, the minimum price and what is included in the price also differ, separate rates say little. So compare the total price for the same model, including VAT and shipping.

We charge per gram. The print time is built into that price per gram, so we do not charge separately per hour, and there are no set-up costs. The minimum of € 8.00 per order covers the fixed steps that come with every print. That way you can check the price yourself.

Is 3D printing expensive?

How expensive 3D printing is depends on what you have printed. A small, light part comes to the minimum of € 8.00 or just above it. For a large or heavy object you pay by weight, and because a print is not solid inside, that stays within bounds too.

Why is a small print relatively expensive?

A print of a few grams needs the same fixed steps as a big one: cleaning the print bed, checking the model in the slicer, loading the right filament, keeping an eye on the first layers and finishing the print neatly. That takes as much time for a keychain as for a vase. The minimum of € 8.00 per order covers those steps. If your order comes to more than that minimum, for example because you order several pieces or a larger model, you simply pay per gram.

How to keep the cost down

• Keep the infill at the standard 20 percent, unless a part really has to be extra sturdy.
• Have several pieces printed at once: from 5 pieces you get a 10 percent volume discount, from 10 pieces 15 percent.
• Put several models in one request, then you get one quote and pay shipping once.
• Only choose a rush order if you really need it.
• Pick up your print in The Hague and you pay no shipping.

Buy your own 3D printer or have it printed?

Your own 3D printer looks like a one-off purchase, but there is more to it. You need filament, one spool per colour. The printer needs maintenance and calibration. And failed prints are part of it while you learn to work with the printer and the slicer.

Having it printed needs no investment. You only pay for what you have printed, we check your model in the slicer beforehand, and if something goes wrong on our side during printing, you get a free reprint or your money back.

If you need something now and then, having it printed means you only pay for those prints. If you like to print a lot yourself, your own printer can be worth it. For businesses the trade-off is worked out on business printing services.

Large objects: also priced per gram

A large object is also priced per gram. A print is hollow inside with an infill pattern, 20 percent by default, which keeps the weight, and therefore the price, down. In one piece we print up to 350 x 320 x 325 mm. If your model is larger, the calculator warns you and we print it in sections, with a custom price in the quote. Read more on 3D printing large objects.

Frequently asked questions about the cost of 3D printing

How much does 3D printing cost?

With us € 0.19 per gram of PETG, with a minimum of € 8.00 per order, including VAT. A small part therefore comes to the minimum or a little above it. You can work out what your model costs with the calculator on the pricing page.

What does 3D printing cost per hour?

We do not charge per hour. The print time is built into the price per gram, so you pay € 0.19 per gram of PETG, with a minimum of € 8.00. That way you can check the price yourself.

Why do prices differ so much between print services?

Print services charge in different ways: per gram, per cm³, per hour of print time or with a fixed starting fee. On top of that, the material, the minimum price and what is included, such as shipping and VAT, differ. So always compare the total price for the same model.

Does a different colour cost more?

No, the colour itself costs nothing extra: every colour has the same price per gram. If you combine several colours in one print (up to 5), a surcharge for support and the purge tower may apply; with a multicolour 3MF file you see it straight away in the price estimate.

Which is cheaper: printing it yourself or having it printed?

That depends on how often you print. For a single part or the occasional print, having it printed means you only pay for those prints, with no printer, filament or maintenance. If you print a lot yourself, your own printer can pay off. Above you can read what to take into account when printing yourself.