What drives the price of a 3D printed part
Updated: 6 days ago
The price of a 3D printed part is driven by two things the part consumes, plastic and machine time, plus the service choices around it: finishing, lead time and shipping. Geometry decides most of the first two. Every lever below can be moved in the 3Descu instant quote calculator, and the price updates as you move it, so you can see the trade before you order.
3Descu is an ISO 9001:2015 certified 3D printing manufacturer in Targu-Jiu, Romania, with 200+ 3D printers running FDM and resin. This guide explains the levers qualitatively. It does not publish a pricing formula, and it does not need one: the calculator shows you the exact number for your file.
The eight levers of 3D printing cost at a glance
Lever | Pushes the price up | Brings the price down |
Geometry | Tall parts, large solid volume, overhangs that need support | Less material, fewer supported overhangs |
Material | Slow-printing engineering materials | A general-purpose material that does the job |
Infill (FDM) | High infill percentages | 15% to 20% for visual parts, walls rather than infill for strength |
Layer height | Fine layers | Standard 0.2 mm, or Fast for hidden parts |
Quantity | Ordering one piece at a time | Ordering the batch together |
Finish | Hand finishing, custom colours | As printed, standard colours |
Lead time | Express production | Standard or Economy production |
Shipping | Express courier, remote postcodes | Standard courier |
How geometry sets the price of a 3D printed part
Geometry is the lever with the most weight, because it drives both material and machine time. Solid volume decides how much plastic the part holds. Height matters just as much: a printer builds one layer at a time, so a taller part means more layers and more hours on the machine, even when it holds little plastic.
Overhangs matter too. On FDM, anything past about 45 degrees from vertical needs support material underneath it, which is printed, then removed, and leaves a rougher surface. Chamfering an overhang to 45 degrees is usually cheaper than supporting it. The 3Descu design rules cover this and the other rules that change the price.
Size has one hard limit. A part over 500 x 500 x 500 mm in FDM, or 300 x 250 x 250 mm in resin, has to be split and joined. A split you design at a joint that was going to exist anyway is always better than one chosen for you.
Material choice and 3D printing cost
Materials differ in what they cost, and more importantly in how fast they print. At 3Descu:
PLA and PETG are the general-purpose choices. PETG is the sensible default for a functional part that will be handled or fastened.
TPU prints slowly compared with rigid filaments, so a TPU part costs more in machine time than its size suggests.
Polycarbonate prints slowly and at high temperature, so it carries more machine time than the same geometry in PETG. Specify it when the part has a stated service temperature or load; otherwise ABS or PETG does the job for less.
Carbon fibre filled filaments are abrasive and print slower than their base polymer. That shows up in the lead time on a large order rather than in the price of one part.
ASA against ABS: if the part lives outdoors, ASA is almost always right, and the price difference between them is small.
The quickest check is to price the same file in two materials. The calculator does it in seconds, and the 3Descu material pages say what each material is wrong for, which is often the faster way to rule one out.
Infill, walls and the strength you pay for
Infill is the internal lattice inside an FDM part's walls, given as a percentage. Raising it adds weight, time and cost, and beyond a point it adds far less strength than an extra wall would. The walls carry the load in a printed part, not the infill.
A practical guide, taken from the calculator's own settings: 15% to 20% for visual parts, 30% to 50% for functional loads, 60% to 100% for structural parts. If a part needs to be stronger, add a wall under Advanced Settings before you push infill up. Resin parts print solid, so infill does not apply to them.
Layer height: surface against time
Layer height is how thick each printed layer is. Thinner layers give a smoother surface and a longer print. The 3Descu calculator offers three settings: Fine for visible parts, Standard at 0.2 mm, which is the best balance of finish, speed and strength on almost every part, and Fast for hidden or structural parts where looks matter less. If nobody will see the surface, Fine is money spent on nothing.
Quantity and the €20 minimum order
Quantity changes the price per piece more than most buyers expect. Setup and plate time are shared across a batch, and several parts nested on one build plate print together, so the second piece costs far less than the first. Enter the quantity you really need rather than one, and order a set together rather than one at a time. The 3Descu short run production guide covers larger runs.
On top of that, a volume discount applies automatically as the order value rises, and the calculator shows it as its own line.
The one figure that can make a very small part look expensive is the minimum order of €20. It applies to the whole order, not to each part. A single small bracket does not cost €20 to make, but an order of one still has to be reviewed, packed and shipped. Adding a second part or a few spares to the same order uses that floor instead of paying for it.
Finish, lead time and shipping
Finish. The calculator prices parts as printed, in 13 standard colours plus transparent on resin. Finishing is hand work, such as sanding, smoothing, a colour match or pressed-in inserts, so write it in the notes and it is priced properly in the reply. A custom colour (a RAL or Pantone code) or a custom material turns off the automatic price, and 3Descu emails the real figure within 2 business hours.
Lead time. The quote summary offers up to three production tiers. Economy costs less and takes longer, Standard is the default, and Express costs more to shorten the production half of the delivery. Express costs 20% more; Economy costs less when the date is not the constraint. Printing runs seven days a week at 3Descu, so production days are calendar days.
Shipping. 3Descu ships with DPD, GLS, Cargus, FedEx and DHL. Entering your country and postcode turns the estimate into an exact delivery price; remote areas cost more to reach. Standard courier is cheaper than express.
VAT. For an EU business with a valid VAT number, the invoice is reverse charged and 3Descu adds no VAT, which matters when you compare a net quote against a gross one elsewhere.
Six changes that lower a 3D printing quote
Order the real quantity in one order, and add spares to the same order.
Use Standard layer height unless the surface will be seen.
Keep infill at 15% to 20% for visual parts, and add walls rather than infill for strength.
Pick the least demanding material that survives the job, then compare two in the calculator.
Chamfer overhangs to 45 degrees and split oversized parts at a natural joint.
Choose Economy or Standard production when the date allows it.
Terms used above, such as infill, walls and support material, are defined in the 3Descu glossary.
Get a free quote - upload your file and move the levers yourself.
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