How much do 3D printing services cost?

We often see online discussions about the price of 3D prints, or more specifically: how to calculate the price for having something 3D printed. Since there are many myths floating around, we figured out that many people will be interested in a deep dive into various aspects of this field. So, how do you set the right price for a 3D print? We’ll take you through the main aspects of 3D printing pricing that affect the price

3D Model
“Send us the 3D model” is the second thing we tell our clients after telling them “it depends”. Without the 3D model, it’s tough to come up with an accurate quote for a 3D print even for seasoned veterans.

The 3D model gives us essential information that can help us quote a 3d print.

Model volume
With the 3d model on hand, we can calculate the total volume of the model, including the generated supports. The total volume lets us know how much material is needed to 3d print your file.

In short, the larger the volume, the higher the cost. There are ways to reduce the cost of 3D printing, and one of them is to hollow your model.

A 3ft model can have less volume than a 1ft model if the 1ft model is solid on the inside, while the 3ft model is hollow.

That is why coming up with an estimate price of 3d printing without the 3d model is not easy.

Complexity
Not all 3d models are created equal. Some are 3d print-ready, while some are just plain crazy. 3d printing takes preparation and planning. For some 3d printing services, everything is automated, which can make transactions faster. For simple products, this can be the right solution.

But what about complex parts and architectural models? We found that even with the most sophisticated algorithm, you still need some human guidance when it comes to 3d printing these type of projects.

Infill Percentage
Infill percentage focuses on the amount of plastic being used to fill the inside of the 3D object. If you’re printing with a filament printer, it will be easier for you to manage the infill of each particular design.

The higher the infill percentage, the more plastic there will be printed and layered inside of the design. If you want your design to be a solid block of plastic, you can set the infill percentage at 100%.

Most people think that the higher the infill percentage is, the more strong and sturdy the object will be, which is pretty important. You paid for that plastic; you don’t want your designs to break or snap easily.

But here’s the thing; the higher the infill percentage is, the more it costs for you to 3D print overall. But if I print a hollow design

Resin is a liquid that filters down and is solidified by a UV laser, and unless the design specifically dictates where the liquid needs to go, it will just solidify the entire design, giving you 100% infill at all times, and using up all of your expensive resin.

you can hollow out your resin 3D model before you go to print, and how to make sure it prints like that.

Type of material
The materials that you choose matters when it comes to the cost of 3d printing. There are tons to choose from so we are going to focus on the popular ones, thermoplastics and resin.

Post-processing
Most don’t realize that 3d printing is not an instant process. Drop your file, print, and it’s ready. (We hope it was).

After 3d printing, the resulting print needs to be cured, cleaned and polished before you can consider them useable. That is if the 3d printing service company cares about the quality of their product.

WKproto is a professional rapid prototyping and low-volume production manufacture specializing in 3D printing, CNC machining, and Vacuum Casting. Our factory and parter factories enable rapid prototyping of designs from our customers and low volume production for market verification.

We have three factories. 3D printing factory meets the demands of most 3D printing services with 100 SLA machines, 10 SLS machines, 10 MJF machines, 10 SLM machines, and 20 FDM machines. CNC machining factories for processing metals, plastic and more materials with more than 200 machines for CNC milling/CNC lathes/EDM / Wire EDM and the Vacuum Casting factory is for low volume production for ABS、PC、PP、PE、PA、POM、PMMA、PVC.