Calculate the true cost of any print and find the right selling price for your work.
The true cost of a 3D print goes beyond just the filament. To get an accurate number, you need to account for five components: material cost (filament or resin consumed), electricity (printer wattage over print time), printer depreciation (spreading the purchase price across its useful life), labor (your time for setup, monitoring, and post-processing), and a failure rate buffer (because not every print succeeds).
PLA is the most affordable at roughly $15-25 per 1kg spool. PETG runs $18-30 and offers better heat and chemical resistance. ABS is similar in price to PETG but requires an enclosure. Specialty filaments like TPU (flexible), Nylon, and carbon fiber blends can range from $30-60 per kilogram. Resin for SLA printers typically costs $30-60 per liter (roughly 1,000-1,200g).
A common starting point is a 50-100% markup over total cost. For simple prints on Etsy or local marketplaces, many sellers use a minimum price of $5-10 per item regardless of actual cost, since transaction fees, packaging, and shipping eat into margins. For custom or complex work, markups of 200-400% are not unusual. The key is knowing your true cost first so you never sell at a loss.