How the cost is worked out
Everything below is for one plate, then divided by the pieces on it. Packaging is per piece.
- Material: grams used, plus waste, times the price per gram.
- Electricity: power draw in kilowatts times print hours times your rate.
- Printer wear: printer price divided by the hours you expect from it, times print hours.
- Failed prints: if 10% of prints fail, every good print has to carry the material, power and wear of the failed ones. That adds 11.1% to those three costs, not 10%.
- Your time: hands-on minutes at your hourly rate. Time the printer runs on its own is covered by wear and power.
How the price is worked out
The price is set so that after costs and the selling fees you keep the profit share you chose. Fees used, for US sellers:
- Etsy: 6.5% transaction fee, 3% + $0.25 payment processing and the $0.20 listing fee.
- Etsy, Offsite Ads order: the same plus 15%, which applies to shops under $10,000 a year in sales.
- Your own website: 2.9% + $0.30, a typical card processing rate.
- In person, cash: no fees.
Fee rates checked Nov 4, 2026 against published 2026 Etsy rates (size.ly, Marmalead). Shipping and sales tax are left out; if you charge shipping, Etsy also takes its fees on that.
Questions
Why is my cost so much higher than the filament?
On long prints, printer wear, failed prints and your hands-on time often add up to more than the plastic. That's why pricing by filament weight alone tends to lose money on big, slow prints.
What power draw should I use?
Use the average while printing, which is usually well below the power supply's rating. A plug-in power meter gives you the real number for your printer and settings.
Does it work for resin?
Yes. Enter the resin used in grams and the bottle price per kilogram, and add gloves, IPA and FEP wear to packaging and parts.
Should I count my time?
If you don't, the price only covers your costs, and growing means working for free. Even a low hourly rate shows which products are worth your time.