"How much will it cost me to print this?" is every customer's first question — and it's exactly the question our site answers on its own, in seconds, with no email back-and-forth. You upload the model to "Upload model" and see the price. Here we explain what's behind it, because a calculation you cannot check isn't trustworthy.
The four parts of the quote
Each quote is calculated from the same parts:
1. Material. We estimate how many grams of plastic will go into the part: the walls (surface area times the thickness of the wall), the internal infill, and the supports if the model needs them. PLA for example is €0.03 per gram; engineering materials are more expensive because both the filament is more expensive and their printing is more demanding.
2. Machine time. The printer costs us money every hour it is busy - the bill runs at €1.70 per hour. Time is estimated by the amount of material actually passing through the nozzle (walls, infill, supports) and — this surprises most people — by the number of layers. Each layer also adds a fixed time overhead, so a tall, narrow part takes longer than a low and wide one of the same volume. Yes, the same grams of plastic can cost differently depending on how they are placed.
3. Preparation. File review, positioning on the build plate, setting up and removing the print — €1.30 once per order, not per piece.
4. VAT 20%. On everything above. The amount you see at the end is the final production price including VAT - no asterisks. Only the delivery is separate: it is calculated during the order according to the Econt or Speedy office you choose, and is paid online together with the production. There is no cash on delivery - you can only pay by card.
The minimum order
The smallest order is €6 including VAT. A pocket keychain contains only a few cents’ worth of plastic, but it takes up the machine, requires preparation, and travels by courier like any other order—below that limit, we would be operating at a loss.
Example with real numbers
A 20 × 20 × 20 mm cube made from PLA, standard quality: the material in it costs about 19 cents, machine time — about 36, preparation is €1.30. The amount is far below the minimum, so the offer comes out exactly 6 € with VAT. With a larger part, the minimum ceases to play a role and the price starts to be driven by material and time — that is, by the size, infill, and height of the model.
How to lower the price without lowering the quality
Because the price follows a calculation, you can influence it:
- Infill. The interior of the part rarely needs to be dense — for decorative items, 10-15% is often enough, and for most functional parts, 20-25% is the usual choice. A solid part is heavier, slower and more expensive without looking better. We covered it in detail in "How Infill and Layer Height Change Price, Strength and Time".
- Layer height. A thicker layer means fewer layers, meaning less machine time. For a part you won't be looking at closely, a rougher profile lowers the price with no real loss.
- Orientation and supports. The model that hangs in the air needs supports — and they are material that goes into the trash after printing. Sometimes a spin removes them entirely: "Why Part Orientation Decides Strength and Cost".
- The quantity. For more units, the preparation cost is spread across the pieces, and for larger series there is a discount — the calculator shows it by itself.
When the automatic price is not enough
Not every model gets a number right away. A model with many overhangs, a part that enters the printer only rotated at an angle, or a file whose volume cannot be reliably measured — these go to manual review: we review the model carefully and confirm the price and deadline by email. The reason is honest: with such a model, the orientation and supports can change the calculation, and better a little wait than a price we cannot honour.
And an honest clarification at the end: automatic pricing works best for small and medium-sized parts. For very large objects, series of hundreds of pieces or a part with requirements for certified material - write to us directly, such conversations go better with a person.