The 3D printing maker's toolbox.
Free calculators, references, and guides for everyone running a 3D printer — from first-print hobbyists to print-farm operators.
- Material
- $1.04
- Electricity
- $0.07
- Depreciation
- $0.49
- Labor (10m @ $15/hr)
- $2.50
- Failure buffer (5%)
- $0.21
- True cost
- $4.31
- + 50% margin
- $6.46
- − Etsy fees
- $0.69
- Net profit
- $1.46
Tools
Built for the bench. Open in a browser. No account required.
3D Print Pricing Calculator
Live calculator with 60+ printers, AMS purge waste, Etsy/eBay/Amazon fees, and failure buffer.
Hole Tolerance Calculator
Exact CAD diameter for heat-set inserts, M3-M8 bolts, bearings, magnets — material- and nozzle-aware.
Resin Cost Calculator
The honest resin cost: FEP wear, LCD lifetime, IPA cycles, wash & cure power, water-washable mode.
Filament Cost Calculator
Compare cost-per-kilogram across brands, factor in shipping, calculate true $/g.
Print Farm Scheduler
Given printers and a job queue, when does the batch ship? Gantt chart for production.
Filament Dryer ROI
Calculate when a filament dryer pays for itself based on your failed-print rate.
From the blog
Long-form guides. No filler. Written by people who actually run printers.
May 10, 2026 troubleshootingfirst-layer
First Layer Problems: A Real Diagnostic Guide (Not Just 'Level Your Bed')
Bed leveling fixes maybe 30% of first-layer issues. The other 70% are Z offset, flow rate, bed temp, surface contamination, or worn PEI. Here's how to diagnose by symptom — and the order to fix things.
Read →May 9, 2026 pricingetsy
How to Price Your 3D Prints in 2026: The Complete Guide for Sellers
A complete, formula-driven guide to pricing 3D prints for Etsy, eBay, and Amazon Handmade in 2026. Material costs, electricity, depreciation, AMS purge waste, failure rate, labor, platform fees, shipping, and margin — explained with real numbers.
Read →May 7, 2026 engineeringfasteners
Heat-Set Inserts in 3D Printed Parts: A Practical Guide
How to add metal threads to 3D printed plastic parts that survive 1,000+ assembly cycles. Insert sizes, hole tolerances, install technique, and why most failures come from skipping a 1mm chamfer.
Read →May 3, 2026 etsyfees
Etsy Fees for 3D Print Sellers in 2026: The Honest Breakdown (Including Off-Site Ads)
Etsy takes 22–26% of your sale once off-site ads kick in — not the 11% beginners think. Here's every fee, when each one triggers, and the math for whether Etsy still makes sense for your shop.
Read →May 2, 2026 resinfdm
Resin vs FDM 3D Printing: A Real Cost Comparison for Sellers
Resin sells for 3–4× the retail price of FDM, but costs 2× more to make. Here's the per-part math, the categories where each wins, and how to decide which technology to invest in for your shop.
Read →April 29, 2026 bambuams
AMS Purge Waste: What Multicolor 3D Prints Actually Cost
Bambu Lab AMS prints look incredible, but the wipe tower and poop chute can waste 30–50% of your filament. Here's the math on what multicolor really costs, and when to skip it.
Read →April 25, 2026 filamentdrying
Filament Drying: When It Matters, When It Doesn't (Stop Drying Your PLA)
The internet says 'always dry your filament.' That's wrong for PLA. Here's which materials actually need drying, the signs of wet filament, drying times and temps, and the cheapest way to do it right.
Read →April 22, 2026 resincost
The Real Cost of Resin 3D Printing: 7 Hidden Expenses Beginners Underestimate
Resin printing isn't $25/kg. Once you count FEP wear, LCD lifetime, IPA cycles, wash & cure power, and PPE, the true cost per print runs 2–3× higher than calculators show. Here's the math, with real numbers.
Read →April 19, 2026 troubleshootingwarping
Why Your 3D Prints Warp (And the Three Fixes That Actually Work)
Adding a brim treats the symptom. Warping is caused by thermal contraction fighting bed adhesion — and the real fixes are material-specific. Here's what actually works for PLA, PETG, ABS, and Nylon.
Read →April 15, 2026 engineeringtolerance
Why Your 3D Printed Holes Always Come Out Too Small (And the Math to Fix It)
Every 3D-printed hole shrinks by 0.1–0.3mm. Here's the physics behind it, the per-material numbers, and the exact CAD compensation formula that makes M3 bolts fit on the first try.
Read →April 11, 2026 plapetg
PLA vs PETG: When to Use Which (and the Per-Part Cost Nobody Talks About)
PLA is easy and cheap. PETG handles heat and water. The decision is rarely about strength — it's about temperature, UV exposure, and a cost difference that's bigger than the $/kg suggests.
Read →What is Creative3DP Tools?
A free hub of calculators and guides built by the team behind Creative3DP — the maker brand behind PETFusion (filament recycler), AeroDry (filament dryer), and Luminark (architectural lamps). We're building the tools we wish existed when we started selling 3D prints. No paywalls, no upsells, no email walls — just tools that work in your browser.