Guides for small print shops.
Practical, plain-language guides to pricing, costs, scheduling and selling 3D prints, for home and small print shops.
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How to price 3D prints: the complete guide
Learn how to price 3D prints so every job makes money: filament, electricity, printer wear, labour, failed prints, and margin, with a worked example.
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What does a 3D print really cost? Cost per gram explained
Filament cost per gram is easy to work out, but it's only part of what a 3D print costs. See the real cost per gram, with examples, and why print time matters.
Starting a 3D printing business from home in Canada
Registering your business, GST/HST and PST, business licences, insurance, and pricing: a practical checklist for starting a home 3D printing business in Canada.
How much electricity does a 3D printer use?
Most 3D printers average 80–130 watts while printing. See what that costs per hour and per month, with BC and US examples, and how to measure your own.
Can you sell prints of models from Printables or Thingiverse?
Downloading a model doesn't mean you can sell prints of it. How Creative Commons and commercial licences work on Printables, Thingiverse, and MakerWorld.
Selling 3D prints on Etsy: fees and pricing
Etsy fees for Canadian sellers, the original-design rule for 3D prints, and how to build fees into your prices so every sale still makes a profit.
Running a printer 24/7 without losing sleep
How to schedule 3D print jobs so long prints run overnight and plate changes happen while you're awake. Get more printing from the machines you already own.
How to track filament inventory
What to track for every spool, how to weigh what's left, when to reorder, and how to keep stock up to date as you print. With a simple spreadsheet layout.
3D printer maintenance schedule by print hours
A practical 3D printer maintenance checklist based on print hours: what to clean, check, and replace, and how to include maintenance in your print costs.