Resin 3D Printing Cost Calculator
Calculate true costs for MSLA and SLA resin 3D prints: factor in resin volume in ml, bottle price, alcohol wash cycles, FEP/LCD screen depreciation, and post-curing labor.
Display only — amounts are not converted between currencies.
Resin, machine and consumables
Recommended selling price
$36.89
- Total print cost
- $16.05
- Recommended selling price
- $36.89
- Profit
- $18.44
- Profit margin
- 50.0%
- Liquid resin cost
- $2.98
- FEP & screen wear
- $2.48
Cost breakdown
| Resin photopolymer | $2.98 |
|---|---|
| Electricity | $0.04 |
| FEP film + LCD screen | $2.48 |
| IPA wash & supplies | $1.20 |
| Post-process labor | $6.67 |
| Failure allowance | $1.19 |
| Packaging | $1.50 |
| Fees | $2.40 |
Printed · Craft Pricing Tools · CraftPricingTools.com
Recommended selling price
$36.89
When to use this calculator
This calculator calculates true part costs for SLA, MSLA, and DLP resin 3D printers.
Unlike FDM filament calculators, it accounts for liquid resin volume (ml), isopropyl alcohol (IPA) wash consumption, FEP/nFEP release film wear per hour, and LCD screen depreciation.
It factors in post-curing washing/curing labor, electricity, and a resin failure rate to ensure profitable quotes.
How this calculator works
How we calculate resin 3D print costs
- Resin cost = resin volume (ml) × (bottle price ÷ bottle volume)
- Electricity = (printer watts ÷ 1000) × print hours × kWh rate
- Machine wear = print hours × (FEP wear/hr + LCD screen wear/hr)
- Consumables = IPA wash bath amortization + paper towels/gloves
- Labor cost = (support removal + wash + UV cure minutes ÷ 60) × hourly rate
- Failure allowance = subtotal × failure rate %
- Total print cost = subtotal + failure allowance
- Selling price = total cost ÷ (1 − margin % − fee %)
Example
Example: 85 ml detailed tabletop miniature figure
85 ml print volume on a 4K MSLA printer. Standard resin is $35.00 per 1000 ml bottle ($0.035/ml). 4.5 hours print time at 60W ($0.15/kWh). FEP & screen wear $0.55/hr. IPA wash cost $1.20. 20 min post-processing at $20/hr. 8% failure rate, 50% margin, 6.5% fee.
- Liquid photopolymer resin cost is $2.98.
- FEP film and LCD exposure wear is $2.48.
- Post-processing wash, support removal, and UV cure labor is $6.67.
- Total production cost with failure allowance is $15.54.
- Recommended selling price is $35.72 with $17.86 net profit.
How much should I charge?
Small tabletop miniatures (28mm–32mm, 10–25 ml): $8.00–$18.00.
Large display statues / busts (75mm+, 80–200 ml): $35.00–$85.00+ unpainted.
Custom functional dental / engineering resin prototypes: $50.00–$150.00+ depending on specialty resin costs.
Pricing tips
- Hollow large solid models in your slicer (Lychee or Chitubox) with 1.5–2.0 mm wall thickness and add drain holes to save 60%–80% of resin volume.
- Keep a two-stage wash bath (dirty IPA pre-wash, clean IPA final wash) to extend alcohol life by 3x.
- Include machine maintenance in hourly pricing: LCD mono screens last ~2,000 hours and FEP films need replacement every 30–50 print hours.
Common mistakes
- Only calculating liquid resin cost and ignoring FEP replacements, screen wear, and IPA alcohol.
- Not factoring in the hazardous disposal, gloves, and nitrile safety supplies required for resin handling.
- Underestimating support removal and manual sanding labor time.
FAQ
How much does resin 3D printing cost per ml?
Standard UV resin costs $0.03 to $0.05 per ml ($30–$50/kg). Tough, flexible, or castable resins cost $0.07 to $0.15+ per ml.
Why is resin 3D printing more expensive than FDM?
Resin involves chemical consumables (99% IPA, resin filters), shorter machine consumable lifespans (FEP films, LCD screens), and extensive manual post-processing.
Related calculators
- 3D Printing Cost Calculator — Calculate filament, electricity, machine time, labor, waste and total print cost.
- 3D Printer Filament Cost Calculator — Calculate filament cost per print, per gram and per kilogram including waste.
- 3D Printing Profit Calculator — Enter your print cost and selling price to see profit, margin, markup and hourly economics.