Guides

How to price, cost and sell 3D prints.

Twenty-four no-fluff guides for running a 3D printing service: the maths behind a quote, what to charge, which file formats to accept, how Shopify actually handles file uploads and custom prices, what to promise on lead time, and which models you're allowed to sell. Every one is written for makers running - or starting - a print business, with worked examples you can apply the same day. Start by calculating your true cost, then decide what to charge.

Pricing

How much to charge for 3D printing

Turn your costs into a profitable price: markup, margin, minimums and what the market will bear.

 Costing

How to calculate 3D printing cost

The full formula - filament, electricity, machine time and labour - with a worked example.

 Business

How to start a 3D printing business

From first printer to first paid order, and how to launch a quoting service on Shopify.

 File formats

STL vs 3MF vs STEP vs OBJ

What each 3D file format is, when to accept it, and which to ask customers for.

 Margins

3D printing profit margin

What’s healthy, what eats it, and how to improve it without raising prices.

 Terms

How to write 3D printing T&Cs

A practical clause-by-clause framework to protect your service and set customer expectations.

 App comparison

Best Shopify apps for 3D printing pricing

Filaquote vs Phasio vs DigiFabster - features, pricing, and which fits your shop.

 How-to

Add a 3D print calculator to Shopify

Step-by-step: install a quote widget, configure materials, and start accepting file uploads.

 Automation

Automate your 3D printing quotes

Stop quoting manually - let geometry-based pricing handle it 24/7.

 Platforms

Sell 3D prints online: Etsy vs Shopify vs Cults3D

Compare fees, audiences, and automation - which platform fits your print business model.

 Income

Make money 3D printing

From side hustle to online store - seven revenue models, pricing, and how to scale.

 App roundup

Best Shopify apps for 3D printing

Every Shopify App Store tool a 3D printing shop needs - quoting, uploads, configurators and more.

 ROI

Filaquote vs manual quoting

The real cost of email quotes - time per order, lost leads, and the ROI of automating.

 Shopify

Let customers upload files on Shopify

Shopify has no native upload field. The four routes that work, and where the file lands on the order.

 Shopify

Custom order pricing on Shopify

Why variants can’t express a per-file price - and what draft orders and cart functions do instead.

 B2B

B2B and bulk 3D printing quotes

Volume breaks grounded in real batch economics, VAT for business buyers, and approval thresholds.

 Costing

Resin vs filament printing costs

Same formula, different constants - and why a full resin plate is nearly free while a full FDM plate isn’t.

 Operations

Lead times and rush pricing

Build a turnaround promise from real capacity, then sell speed instead of absorbing it.

 Legal

Can you legally sell 3D prints?

Model licences, depicted IP and customer-supplied files are three different problems.

 Reference

3D printing business glossary

Thirty-eight terms - from manifold meshes and infill to draft orders and reverse charge - in plain English.

 File formats

3MF vs STL

Units, colour and separate parts - everything STL throws away, and when that matters.

 File formats

STEP vs STL

Exact CAD solids versus triangle meshes, and why STEP can’t go straight into a slicer.

 File formats

CAD vs STL

What exporting throws away, which tolerance to use, and what to send a printing service.

 Costing

3D printer cost per hour

Depreciation, power, wear parts and failed prints - and why the answer is cents, not dollars.

Skip the spreadsheet

Filaquote does the costing and pricing maths in these guides automatically - customers upload a model, see a live 3D preview and an instant, accurate price, and a draft order lands in your Shopify admin.

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