The short answer
It depends on the part, but every shop's price is built from the same few things: material, machine time, hands-on time, a little for failed prints, and the shop's margin. Small, simple parts are often priced at the shop's minimum charge. Big, detailed or engineering parts cost more because they take longer and use more, or pricier, material.
Each shop sets its own prices, so the only way to know is to ask. The rest of this page explains what you're paying for, so a quote makes sense and you know what to change if it's more than you hoped.
What you're paying for
Here's how a shop might work out the cost of a plate of four small brackets. These are example numbers only, not a price list.
| What it covers | Example, for 4 brackets |
|---|---|
| Plastic (120 g of PLA, plus some waste) | $3.30 |
| Electricity (6 hours of printing) | $0.09 |
| Wear on the printer | $0.96 |
| Maintenance and overhead (rent, tools, software) | $1.50 |
| Hands-on time (10 minutes: set-up, removing supports, packing) | $4.17 |
| Allowance for failed prints | $0.50 |
| The shop's cost | $10.52 |
| Price, with the shop's margin | $21.04 |
That's about $5.26 a bracket when four are printed together. Notice that the plastic is less than a third of the cost: time is what you're mostly paying for.
Why one small part can cost more than you expect
Every job needs someone to check the file, set the printer up, take the part off, clean it and pack it, however small it is. That's why shops have a minimum charge. In the example above, a single bracket on its own would be charged the shop's minimum (say $10), even though four of them together cost about $5 each.
Ordering several at once is often much cheaper per part.
What changes the price
- Size and how solid it is. More material and more printing time.
- Print time and quality. Fine layers look smoother but take longer. Ask for the quality you actually need.
- Material. Everyday plastics (PLA, PETG) cost least. Engineering plastics, resin and metal cost more.
- Quantity. Set-up is shared across every part on the plate.
- Finishing. Sanding, priming or painting is skilled handwork.
- No file yet? 3D design or 3D scanning is priced as extra work.
- Rush jobs and shipping.
How to get a lower quote
- Send a ready-to-print file (STL or 3MF), and say what the part is for.
- Say which details matter: strength, looks, exact sizes or colour. The shop can then save time where it doesn't matter.
- Use an everyday material unless the part needs something special. Not sure? See Choose a material by project.
- Order a few at once, or group several small parts into one order.
- Skip finishing you don't need, or do it yourself.
- Give a relaxed deadline. Shops can fit it in between other jobs.
- Ask several shops. Prices and specialities differ.
Getting quotes on Nozzlet
- From one shop: open its page and send a message with your file or idea.
- From several: post a request. Describe what you need, and shops near you send you quotes. It's free, and nothing is booked until you agree with a shop.
Find a 3D printing shop near you, or post a request to get quotes from local shops.
Pricing your own prints?
If you sell 3D prints, see How to price 3D prints, or work out your own costs with the free 3D print cost calculator.