Why 3D Printing Costs What It Costs (and how our pricing works)

We price custom 3D printing by print time, because it’s the simplest and fairest way to match cost to the actual work your part needs. Here’s what you’re paying for—and how to estimate your order before you buy.

How our pricing works (simple)

• We charge based on print time (hourly tiers)

• Shipping is charged separately (so you only pay what delivery actually costs)

• Optional add-ons (if needed): Picture → 3D model conversion (€15.99)

What you’re actually paying for (it’s not “just plastic”)

When you order a custom print, the filament is only part of the cost. Your price covers:

1. Machine time
   Your part uses our printer for X hours. During that time, we can’t print anything else.

2. Material + waste
   Prints need supports, purge material (especially with multi-colour), and sometimes test pieces. On average, material + waste works out at roughly €2 per print hour.

3. File checking + setup
   Before we print, we load your file into our slicer (BambuStudio) to check it’s printable and fits the build volume.

4. Reliability (failed prints happen)
   3D printing isn’t like sending something to a normal printer—failures can happen due to temperature, adhesion, or small geometry issues. If a print fails due to technical issues on our side, we redo it.

5. Quality check before shipping
   We visually inspect prints before dispatch, so you don’t receive something obviously flawed.

Our time-based price tiers

(Examples)

• 1 hour: €5

• 2 hours: €9

• 3 hours: €13

• 5 hours: €21

• 9 hours: €37

Longer prints get a better effective rate because setup work doesn’t scale linearly.

Example: “Why does a small part cost €9–€13?”

Some parts look small but take longer because of:

• fine detail

• lots of supports

• slow top surfaces for a clean finish

• tall prints (height adds time)

• multiple parts in one job

That’s why time is a better predictor than size alone.

Should you buy a printer instead?

If you love tinkering, printing often, and don’t mind trial-and-error, buying a printer can be a great hobby.

But if you just need a part (or you need it to work), ordering can be the better deal because you avoid:

• upfront printer cost

• learning curve + failed prints

• tuning, maintenance, and troubleshooting

• buying multiple filament types “just in case

A quick note about files (so you don’t waste money)

• We print print-ready files (we don’t modify designs)

• Accepted formats: .3mf, .stl, .stp/.step, .amf, .obj (or a MakerWorld link)

• If a file isn’t suitable, we’ll tell you before printing

Want a fast quote or help choosing material?

Message us on WhatsApp: +353899605778
Or place your order directly on our website.