Resin 3D Print Cost Calculator
Work out what a resin 3D print really costs — resin by weight, electricity, IPA wash and consumables — with a full per-print cost breakdown.
How it works
Resin volume (ml) = grams ÷ density · Resin cost = volume ÷ 1000 × cost/liter · Electricity = watts ÷ 1000 × hours × rate · Total = resin + electricity + IPA + other
Resin printers are priced by the bottle, but you buy resin by volume and use it by weight, so the real per-print cost starts by converting the grams your slicer reports into millilitres using the resin's density (photopolymer resin is typically 1.05–1.20 g/ml). Multiply that volume by your cost per litre and you have the resin cost — usually the largest line, but far from the only one. A resin workflow also burns electricity over long print and cure cycles, isopropyl alcohol for washing, and a steady trickle of consumables: gloves, paper towels, FEP film and the machine's own wear. Adding those in turns a misleadingly cheap "just a few cents of resin" into a truthful number you can price a model or a commission against.
Worked example
A print uses 45 g of resin at 1.1 g/ml, so 45 ÷ 1.1 = 40.9 ml. At $35/litre that is 0.0409 × 35 ≈ $1.43 of resin. A 60 W printer running 6 hours at $0.15/kWh uses 0.06 × 6 × 0.15 ≈ $0.05 of electricity. Adding $0.50 of IPA and $0.30 of other consumables gives a total of about $2.29 per print — resin is roughly 63% of it.
Frequently asked questions
Why convert grams to millilitres?
Resin is sold by volume (litres) but your slicer estimates usage by weight (grams), and the two only match if the density is exactly 1.0. Dividing grams by the resin's density — usually 1.05 to 1.20 g/ml — gives the true volume used, so the cost per litre is applied correctly.
Is the electricity cost really that small?
For most desktop LCD/MSLA printers, yes. A 40–100 W machine over a few hours costs only a few cents at typical rates, so resin and consumables dominate. The electricity line matters more for very long prints, a power-hungry wash-and-cure station, or high energy prices.
What should I add for a print I sell?
This tool covers direct materials and power. To price a commission, add your supports/failure rate (a share of prints fail and waste resin), post-processing and painting time, and a margin. Many makers add a failure buffer of 10–20% on resin to cover reprints.
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This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.