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Calculator Basic Inputs

Understanding the core inputs for accurate 3D print cost calculations

Overview

The calculator's basic inputs are the core fields that drive every cost calculation. These include selecting a printer and filament, entering print time and filament weight, setting your electricity rate, and toggling printer depreciation. All fields are shown in the "Printer & Filament" and "Print Parameters" cards at the top of the calculator page.

Tip: Toggle the Advanced switch in the top-left to expand the Post-Processing, Preparation, and Pricing & Risk sections automatically.

Printer Selection

How to Select

Click the Printer dropdown in the "Printer & Filament" card. The searchable dropdown lists all printers you have added under Dashboard → Printers, along with any global printers available to all users.

  • •Your Printers: Custom printers you've added in the Printers page
  • •Global Printers: Pre-loaded popular printer models available to all users

What This Affects

  • •Depreciation Cost: Calculated from the printer's purchase price and expected lifespan hours
Formula: (Purchase Price ÷ Lifespan Hours) × Print Hours

Tip: The calculator remembers your last selected printer via local storage, so it will be pre-filled next time you open the page.

Filament Selection

How to Select

Click the Filament dropdown. The searchable list shows filaments from your inventory (Dashboard → Filaments), complete with colour swatches, brand, and material type.

  • •Brand & Name: e.g., "Hatchbox PLA"
  • •Material Type: PLA, PETG, ABS, TPU, etc.
  • •Colour Swatch: Visual indicator matching your filament's colour

What This Affects

  • •Base Material Cost: (Filament Weight ÷ 1000) × Cost per kg
  • •Filament Markup: The base material cost is multiplied by the filament markup (default 2.7×)

Note: Currency conversion is automatic. Filament costs are stored in USD and displayed in your preferred currency from the dashboard header.

Print Time

How to Enter

Print time is entered using two separate fields — hours and minutes. Both accept whole numbers. The minutes field is capped at 59.

Examples:
• 2 hours → hrs: 2, min: 0
• 2 hours 30 minutes → hrs: 2, min: 30
• 45 minutes → hrs: 0, min: 45
• 8 hours 15 minutes → hrs: 8, min: 15

Where to Find Print Time

Get this information from your slicer software after slicing:

  • • Bambu Studio: Right panel after slicing
  • • Cura: Bottom-right corner after slicing
  • • PrusaSlicer: Bottom-right after slicing
  • • OrcaSlicer: Right panel after slicing

What This Affects

  • •Electricity Cost: Print hours × 0.1 kWh × your electricity rate
  • •Printer Depreciation: Print hours × cost-per-hour (if enabled)

Filament Weight

How to Enter

Enter the filament weight in grams. This should be the total material used for the print including supports, purge tower, and any waste your slicer reports.

Typical Ranges:
• Small print: 15–50 g
• Medium print: 50–200 g
• Large print: 200–500 g
• Very large print: 500 g+

What This Affects

  • •Base Material Cost: (Weight ÷ 1000) × filament cost per kg
  • •Filament Markup: Applied to the base material cost (default 2.7×)

Important: Always include support material weight in your total. Your slicer calculates this automatically when it shows "total filament used".

Electricity Cost per kWh

How to Set

Enter your electricity rate per kilowatt-hour in your display currency. The default is $0.17/kWh. If you set a default rate in Settings → Preferences, it will be loaded automatically each time you open the calculator.

How to Find Your Rate:
• Check your electricity bill for "price per kWh"
• Average US rate: $0.12–0.17 per kWh
• Average EU rate: €0.20–0.30 per kWh
• Average UK rate: £0.25–0.35 per kWh

How It's Calculated

The calculator uses a flat rate of 0.1 kWh per print hour, multiplied by your electricity rate. This is a standardised estimate across all printer types.

Formula: Print Hours × 0.1 kWh × Electricity Rate
Example: 5 hours × 0.1 kWh × $0.17 = $0.085

Tip: Set your default electricity rate in Settings → Preferencesso you don't need to enter it each time. The calculator will auto-fill this value.

Printer Depreciation Toggle

What Is Depreciation?

Depreciation accounts for the gradual wear on your printer. Every hour of printing brings the machine closer to needing replacement. This toggle (enabled by default) adds that cost to your calculation.

Formula: Purchase Price ÷ Lifespan Hours = Cost per Hour
Example:
• Printer cost: $300
• Expected lifespan: 2,000 hours
• Depreciation: $0.15 per hour
• For a 5-hour print: $0.75

When to Enable or Disable

✓

Enable for:

Business/commercial printing, client work, accurate full-cost pricing

✗

Disable for:

Hobby printing, personal projects, when the printer is already paid off

Unified Labor Rate

How It Works

The calculator uses a single Labor Rate (shown in the "Labor Settings" card) that applies to all hands-on time — both post-processing and preparation. The default is $20/hr.

The "Total Labor Time" field below the rate is auto-calculated from the sum of all post-processing and preparation minutes you enter.

Setting Your Rate

Hobbyist / casual$15–$20/hr
Small business$20–$35/hr
Professional / expert$35–$60/hr

Note: The rate is displayed in your current currency but stored in USD. If you switch currencies, the converted value will be shown automatically.

Resetting the Calculator

Click Reset (top-right of the Printer & Filament card) to clear all fields and return every setting to its default value:

  • • Printer & filament selections cleared
  • • Print time, weight, and all labor minutes set to 0
  • • Electricity rate restored to your saved preference (or $0.17)
  • • Labor rate reset to $20/hr
  • • Filament markup → 2.7×, General markup → 50%, Failure rate → 10%
  • • Depreciation toggle re-enabled
  • • Previous result cleared

Related Articles

Preparation Work

Pre-print setup and labour time

Post-Processing

Finishing work and labour costs