So, you've perfected your print settings, dialed in your bed adhesion, and your printer is humming along beautifully. Then, a friend or customer asks the inevitable question: "Can you print this for me? How much will it cost?" For many makers, this is the hardest part. Moving from a hobby to a small side-business means developing a fair and sustainable pricing strategy that values your time, your machine, and your expertise. Let's break down how to turn plastic into a practical price tag.

🧮 The Detailed Breakdown: Accounting for Every Gram and Minute

For complex projects, custom commissions, or when you're just starting out and want to be precise, a detailed breakdown is the most transparent and fair method for both you and the customer. It ensures you never accidentally undercharge for a massive, time-consuming print. (If you have a really easy part to print, then look in the next chapter just underneath this one).
The strategy, as shown in the example calculation in the header picture of this blog article, involves itemizing every core component of the print job:

• Filament Cost: This is the easiest to calculate. By weighing the 3D model in your slicer (e.g., 136g) and knowing the cost per gram of your filament (e.g., $ 0.025/g), you get a direct material cost (136g * 0.025 = $ 3.40).

• Printing Time & Machine Wear: Your slicer tells you the time (e.g., 8 hours). You then apply an hourly rate that covers electricity consumption and, crucially, the gradual wear and tear on your printer—replacing nozzles, belts, fans, etc. In the example calculation I chose $ 0.15, because I wanted to sell more. A more common rate is between $ 1-3 per hour.

• Manual Labour & Post-Processing: This is where you get paid for your time. Did the print require specific software adjustments? Do you want to offer support removal, sanding, gluing, or painting? Log these hours and pay yourself a fair wage for the skilled work.

• Fixed Costs: Don't forget the "hidden" expenses like specialized packaging for safe mailing and the postage itself. You only want local customers? No problem, check out our own marketplace «3D-2GO», where we offer Makers to choose whether or not they want to offer mailing or not!

The Bottom Line: Adding these elements—Material + Machine Time + Labour + Fixed Costs—gives you a total that accurately reflects the true cost of the project, ensuring your printing passion remains sustainable.

You don't want to set that up for yourself? Find the example calculation spreadsheet here! You can edit it with any spreadsheet viewer like Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, or Libreoffice Calc.

💰 The Flat Rate: "Just Charge 5-10 Bucks, Bro"

For the vast majority of simple, small parts that fit on a single build plate and require minimal to no post-processing, a detailed invoice is overkill. This is where the community-approved flat rate shines.
Think of prints like:

• A simple smartphone stand
• A cable clip
• A small vase
• A replacement knob or gear

These items typically use a negligible amount of filament (often under 50g) and print in under 5 hours. For these, a standard flat fee of $ 5-10 without mailing costs is perfectly acceptable, fair, and efficient. It’s a price that feels right to the customer for the value they receive—a custom, physical object—and it saves you, the maker, from spending 15 minutes calculating a $$ 4.27 invoice. It’s the perfect solution for quick, small jobs that keep the community buzzing without bogging you down in paperwork.

⚖️ The Intuitive Price: Experience is the Best Teacher

As you print more—both for yourself and for others—something magical starts to happen. Pricing shifts from a rigid calculation to an intuitive feeling. You'll develop an almost sixth sense for it.
You'll glance at a 3D model and instantly know:

• "That's a 3-hour print, about 80g of PETG, and it'll need some support cleanup... that's a $ 25 job."
• "That intricate figure will need my 0.2mm nozzle, will take 2 days, and requires careful painting. That's a premium commission for $ 80+"

This intuition is built on the foundation of all those initial detailed breakdowns. The more you offer, the more you'll sharpen your understanding of what your time and effort are worth. You'll learn which customers value quality and which only chase the lowest price. This experience allows you to quickly quote fair prices on the fly, focus on the projects you enjoy most, and build a reputation for being a reliable and fairly-priced maker in your local community.

Ultimately, finding your pricing strategy is a journey. Start with the details to learn your costs, use flat rates to keep things simple, and trust that with time, you'll develop the confidence to price your work intuitively and fairly.

Sources used in this article:
My own experience printing for myself and customers
My example calculation spreadsheet
Official Google Sheets page
Official Microsoft Excel page
Official Libreoffice Calc page