Step 1: Work out the true cost per print
Start with every cost of making one print, not just plastic:
- Filament: grams used × price per gram.
- Electricity: usually small, but it adds up on long prints.
- Machine wear: the printer’s price spread over its working hours, plus nozzles and build plates.
- Failures: if one print in ten fails, every good print carries 10% extra.
The print cost calculator adds these for you. For a typical 45 g PLA part it comes to about 1.30 in most currencies, of which filament is only about 0.90.
Step 2: Charge for your time
Printing runs on its own, but everything around it does not: answering messages, slicing, removing supports, sanding, checking quality and packing. Time each step once and you will usually find 10–30 minutes per order. Pay yourself an hourly rate for it. This is the step most new sellers skip, and the reason many give up.
Step 3: Add packaging and fixed fees
Boxes, padding, labels and tape are a cost per order. So are fixed listing or transaction fees charged per sale. Add them once per order, not per item.
Step 4: Cover percentage fees the right way
Marketplace commission, payment processing and advertising fees are taken as a percentage of the price the buyer pays. If you add 10% to your costs, the fee is charged on the larger final price and you come up short. Divide instead:
With costs of 7.00, fees of 10% and a 30% margin: 7.00 ÷ 0.60 = 11.67. The fee on 11.67 is 1.17, and 3.50 is left as profit, exactly 30% of the price.
Step 5: Choose your margin
| Type of work | Typical margin | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Simple repeat items | 20–35% | Competitive, easy to produce |
| Custom one-off designs | 40–60% | Design time, back-and-forth with the buyer |
| Rush orders | +25–50% on top | You reschedule other work |
| Large or multi-part prints | 30–45% | Higher failure risk and handling |
Step 6: Compare with the market
Your calculated price is a floor, not a ceiling. Search the marketplace for similar items. If they sell for more, charge more. If they sell for much less, look at cutting costs (lower infill, larger nozzle, batch printing) rather than selling at a loss.
Do it in one place
The 3D print pricing calculator runs steps 2 to 5 for you and can pull in your last result from the cost calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell prints of models I downloaded?
Only if the model’s licence allows commercial use. Many free models do not. Sell your own designs or ones whose licence permits selling.
Should I charge per hour of printing?
Some services do, often a small rate per machine hour plus material. It works well for custom jobs. For products, a fixed price based on full cost is simpler for buyers.
What is a good minimum order?
Set it so that even a tiny order covers 15–30 minutes of your time plus packaging and fees. Below that, small orders lose money.
Last reviewed October 2026. See how we calculate.