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Understanding Your Calculation Results

Learn how to read and interpret the two-section cost breakdown

Overview

After clicking Calculate, the results card appears in the right sidebar. It displays a two-section breakdown: a red Costs section showing your base expenses, and a green Profit section showing your markups — with a bold Total Price at the bottom.

Note: There is a 3-second cooldown between calculations to prevent accidental double-clicks. The button shows a countdown timer during this period.

Costs Section (Red)

The first section lists your base expenses — the real costs of producing the print. These items appear with a red total labelled "Fees / Total Costs".

Printer Depreciation

Optional

Wear-and-tear cost of your printer over time. Only included when the depreciation toggle is on.

Formula: (Purchase Price ÷ Lifespan Hours) × Print Hours

Filament (Base)

Raw Cost

The raw material cost based on weight used and filament price per kg. This is your actual material expense — the markup portion appears separately in the Profit section.

Formula: (Weight in grams ÷ 1000) × Filament Price per kg

Electricity

Flat Rate

Power cost using a flat estimate of 0.1 kWh per hour of printing.

Formula: Print Hours × 0.1 kWh × Electricity Rate (default $0.17/kWh)

Labour

Combined

A single combined line for all labour — post-processing (job removal, support removal, additional work) and preparation (model prep, slicing, material change, transfer & start). All times are entered in minutes and converted to hours, then multiplied by the unified labour rate (default $20/hr).

Formula: (Total Minutes ÷ 60) × Labour Rate
Fees / Total CostsSum of above

Profit Section (Green)

The second section lists your markups — the profit built on top of your costs. These items appear with a green total labelled "Profit / Total Markups".

Filament Markup

Default 2.7×

The extra amount charged on filament above the base cost.

Formula: Base Filament Cost × (Multiplier − 1)
Example: $2.00 × (2.7 − 1) = $3.40

General Markup

Default 50%

Percentage profit applied to total base costs — covers overhead and profit.

Formula: Total Costs × (Markup% ÷ 100)
Example: $30.00 × 0.50 = $15.00

Failure Buffer

Default 10%

A buffer applied to the sum of all costs and markups to cover potential reprints.

Formula: (Total Costs + Filament Markup + General Markup) × (Failure% ÷ 100)
Example: $48.40 × 0.10 = $4.84
Profit / Total MarkupsSum of above

Total Price

Your Recommended Price

The bold number at the bottom of the results card. It's the sum of Total Costs + Total Markups.

Formula:
Total Costs + Total Markups = Total Price

Complete Example

Sample Calculation Breakdown

Costs
Printer Depreciation$0.75
Filament (Base)$2.00
Electricity$0.51
Labour$10.00
Fees / Total Costs$13.26
Profit
Filament Markup (2.7×)$3.40
General Markup (50%)$6.63
Failure Buffer (10%)$2.33
Profit / Total Markups$12.36
Total Price$25.62
Interpretation: Of the $25.62 total, $13.26 covers your actual costs (depreciation, material, electricity, labour) and $12.36 is your profit (filament markup, general markup, and failure buffer).

Usage & Stats Card

Below the results in the sidebar, a Usage & Stats card tracks your calculation activity for the current billing cycle:

  • Calculations this period: How many calculations you've run this billing cycle (Free tier: shows X / 25)
  • Total calculations: Lifetime total across all billing periods
  • Last calculated: Timestamp of your most recent calculation
  • Saved presets: How many presets you've saved (with tier limit shown)

Free tier limit: 25 calculations per billing cycle. The usage bar turns yellow at 80% and red at 100%. Upgrade to any paid tier for unlimited calculations.

Using Your Results

Quote This Price

The Total Price is your recommended selling price. Round to a cleaner number if preferred (e.g., $25.62 → $26.00 or $25.00).

Share with Clients

The cost breakdown demonstrates transparency. Sharing it with clients can justify your pricing and build trust.

Adjust as Needed

The calculator gives a baseline. Adjust up for rush jobs or complex requests, down for bulk orders or returning customers.

Currency Display

All results are displayed in your preferred currency set in the dashboard header. The calculator converts everything automatically.

Multi-Currency: If your filament is priced in EUR and your printer in USD, the calculator converts everything to your display currency automatically.

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