Français2026-07-06
How much does 3D printing cost? The price factors
In short: The price of a 3D print is built from four items: the material consumed, machine time, finishing and fixed costs, all adjusted by quantity. A small PLA part costs a few euros, a technical PEEK part far more, because the material alone can be 15 to 20 times dearer. For an exact price on your part, the most reliable route remains an instant online quote.
"How much does 3D printing cost?" has no single answer, and that is normal: the price depends on your part, not on a rate per kilo. The factors behind it, on the other hand, are clear. Understanding them often makes it possible to bring the bill down without sacrificing any quality. Here is how a quote is built, item by item.
How a 3D printing price is built
A quote is not a figure pulled out of a hat. It adds up four items, to which a margin is added:
- The material consumed (weight of the part + supports, multiplied by the price of the material).
- Machine time (print duration, which ties up the machine and consumes energy).
- Finishing (support removal, sanding, smoothing, painting, annealing).
- Fixed costs (file preparation, calibration, machine depreciation, quality control).
The share of each item varies with the part. On a simple FDM part, material and machine time dominate. On a highly detailed or hand-finished part, finishing can become the heaviest item.
The price factors in detail
1. Volume and weight of material
This is the first lever. The bigger and denser the part, the more material and time it consumes. Be careful, though: the volume that counts is the material actually deposited, not the part's bounding box. A hollow or lightly filled part costs far less than a solid part of the same size.
2. Infill percentage
In FDM, the inside of a part is almost never solid. It is filled to 15, 30 or 50 % depending on the strength required. Going from 100 % to 20 % infill can cut material and time by half or two thirds, with no visible effect on the outside. It is one of the most rewarding settings, provided the part does not need to be solid.
3. Machine time
Print duration weighs heavily. It depends on the height of the part (the Z axis, layer after layer), on layer thickness (finer = longer = better looking) and on complexity. A part printed in 0.1 mm layers takes two to three times longer than in 0.3 mm.
4. The material
This is where the gaps explode. Raw material cost runs from a few tens of euros per kilo for PLA to several hundred for PEEK. Here are the market orders of magnitude (raw material cost, only one of the items in the final price):
| Material | Technology | Indicative material cost |
|---|---|---|
| PLA | FDM | ~20 to 30 €/kg |
| PETG | FDM | ~25 to 35 €/kg |
| ABS / ASA | FDM | ~30 to 40 €/kg |
| Nylon (PA) / PC | FDM | ~60 to 90 €/kg |
| Standard resin | SLA | ~40 to 150 €/L |
| PEEK / ULTEM | High temperature | ~300 to 700 €/kg |
Orders of magnitude for raw material cost (2026 market), excluding machine, finishing and margin. This is not the price of the finished part.
In other words, for an identical part, switching from PLA to PEEK does not double the price: it can multiply it by ten or more, once you add up material cost, longer machine time and the difficulty of processing.
5. Technology and finishing
FDM is the cheapest process per machine hour. Resin (SLA) sits in the middle and requires post-processing (washing, post-curing). High temperature is the most expensive, machine and material included. On top of that comes finishing: simply removing supports is quick, but sanding, smoothing or painting add 15 to 60 minutes of labour per part, sometimes more.
6. Quantity
The unit cost falls with volume. There is no mould to pay for as in injection moulding, but file preparation, calibration and build-plate layout are spread across the number of parts. Grouping your parts on the same build plate or in the same order therefore reduces the unit price.
A concrete example of the breakdown
For a medium-sized functional part printed in PETG, the cost structure often looks like this:
| Item | Indicative share of the price |
|---|---|
| Machine time | 40 to 50 % |
| Material | 25 to 35 % |
| Finishing | 10 to 20 % |
| Preparation and fixed costs | 10 to 15 % |
Illustrative breakdown for a standard FDM part. In high temperature or resin, the material and finishing shares rise.
That breakdown explains why two parts of the same size can carry very different prices: geometry, material and finishing make the difference, not bulk alone.
Order of magnitude by type of part
| Type of part | Material | Indicative cost |
|---|---|---|
| Small decorative part | PLA | € |
| Functional part | PETG / ABS | €€ |
| Mechanical part | Nylon / PC | €€ |
| Technical part | PEEK / ULTEM | €€€ |
The real price depends on geometry and quantity.
How to reduce the cost without losing quality
- Adjust the infill. If the part does not need to be solid, 15 to 30 % infill is enough and sharply reduces material and time.
- Choose the right material, not the dearest. There is no point paying for PEEK on a part that faces neither heat nor extreme loads. Our guide on which 3D printing material to choose helps you decide.
- Optimise the orientation to limit supports, which cost both material and removal time.
- Group your parts in a single order to benefit from the volume effect.
- Keep the finishing simple when the as-printed appearance is fine: every manual step adds to the total.
- Take care with your file upfront: a well-designed model avoids rework. See preparing a 3D file for printing.
FAQ
Why do two parts of the same size not cost the same?
Because geometry changes everything. At equal volume, infill, supports, height, material and finishing can make the cost vary threefold.
Does the material really change the price that much?
Yes, enormously. Raw material cost can run from 20 €/kg for PLA to 700 €/kg for PEEK. On the finished part, the gap is amplified by machine time and processing difficulty.
Is 3D printing cost-effective for small runs?
Often yes, because there is no tooling cost. It is an alternative to plastic injection moulding for small and medium volumes.
How do I get a precise price rather than an order of magnitude?
By uploading your file: the quote is calculated automatically from the real volume, the material and the finish of your part.
Is there a minimum order value?
A small part remains inexpensive, but fixed costs (preparation, build-plate layout) weigh proportionally more on a single part. Grouping several parts improves value for money.
Want an exact price rather than an order of magnitude? Get your instant quote online in a few clicks, with no commitment. The calculation takes account of your actual part, the material and the finish.