Why 3D printing costs more than "just a bit of filament"
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If you're involved in tabletop gaming or 3D printing, you've almost certainly heard this phrase before:
The file is available for free download... so why does the model cost so much? The filament only costs a few euros!
At first glance, that sounds plausible. If you only compare the cost of the material to the selling price, a printed model does indeed seem expensive. But that's precisely where the fallacy lies. It's roughly equivalent to saying:
Why does a painted Warhammer squad cost so much? The paint only costs €3.
The price of a professionally printed terrain piece has about as much to do with the price of the filament as the price of a finished tabletop table has to do with the price of a single tuft of grass.
Or to put it another way: The material is the smallest part of the story.
So let's take a look at what's really behind a professionally manufactured 3D-printed terrain piece.
The "filament only costs €3" myth
The typical calculation looks something like this:
- Model = 200g filament
- 1 kg of filament = €20
- Material costs = €4
So the model would probably cost €8–10. Sounds logical. But it only works if:
- Your working time is worthless
- the printer has no wear and tear
- Electricity is free
- There are no platform fees.
- you don't pay taxes
- No misprints will occur.
- You don't need any packaging
- you don't offer support
- you don't pay any license fees
In short: This is the bill of a hobby printer, not a company.
Taxes and platform fees: the first dungeon boss
When you buy something online, the seller only sees a portion of the sale price. Here's an example from a typical online sale:
- 19% VAT goes directly to the state.
- approx. 15–16% platform fees (e.g. Etsy, Amazon, ...)
- additional payment fees
This means that even before a printer has been switched on, a third of the sales price has already disappeared.
Or to put it another way: The state and the platform have already taken loot before the actual dungeon has even begun.
The file is free! Licensing laws say otherwise.
Another common misconception concerns STL files. While many models are available for free download, free does not automatically mean that you are allowed to sell them.
Most designers release their files under non-commercial licenses or through commercial affiliate programs. This means that a retailer regularly pays licensing fees to legally sell these designs. Without this license, selling them is simply illegal.
Many buyers are unaware of this, and many sellers unfortunately deliberately ignore it. This also harms the designers and, consequently, our hobby community!
Or to put it another way: Just because you know a magic spell doesn't mean you're allowed to use it.
Production costs: Printers don't work out of love for a hobby
A professional printing service has many ongoing costs:
- Electricity
- Machine wear
- spare parts
- maintenance
- Printer farm hardware
- software
- Misprints
- Packaging material
- Shipping material
- Storage area
A single print job can take 10 to 40 hours, and printers rarely run alone; often, entire printer farms are behind them. When a machine prints for 20 hours, it's not just working, it's also wearing out. Nozzles, fans, filters, belts, bearings, and print beds need to be replaced regularly.
Resin printing: a completely different cost class
The effort involved, especially with resin miniatures, is massively underestimated. In addition, the following factors need to be considered:
- Washing stations
- Isopropanol or other cleaning agents
- UV post-curing
- Protective clothing
- Gloves
- filter
- Disposal of residual resin
- regular replacement of FEP films
- Display replacement
Furthermore, significantly more post-processing is required; miniatures need to be washed, hardened, supports removed, inspected, and packaged more elaborately. Here, too, time is the main cost factor.
Quality control: the part nobody sees
A reputable retailer doesn't ship defective prints. This means that every part is checked for printing errors, warping, damaged details, support residue, stability, etc. Defective prints end up in the trash. That's part of the cost calculation.
Marketing, product development and photography
One point that is completely underestimated: Products don't sell themselves. Before you can even buy products, the following often happens:
- Selection of suitable designs
- Test prints
- Adjusting print settings
- Compilation of sets
- Product design
- Writing the product description
- Photographing the models
- Image editing
- Shop setup
- Social media marketing
- Customer service
High-quality product photos are incredibly time-consuming. Scenery is often set up, lit, photographed, and then digitally edited just so you can see exactly what you're getting. All of this contributes to the overall cost of a product.
The hobby printer market and the price illusion
Another problem in the 3D printing market is that many people sell their products as a hobby. This isn't inherently bad, quite the opposite. The problem arises when costs aren't calculated properly. Many only factor in material and a bit of electricity. Labor, wear and tear, taxes, and platform fees are often overlooked.
The result: The seller sells models, but earns nothing or even loses money.
This creates a price illusion in the market. Customers see very low prices and think: "That must be the normal price." In reality, it's often simply not economically calculated.
The thing about the absurd discounts
You can now see discounts of 50% online, In some cases, discounts are as high as 75%. For small businesses, this is simply unrealistic. Such discounts only work if prices have been artificially inflated beforehand or if sales aren't profitable anyway. For small manufacturers or printing services, such promotions are detrimental.
Why small manufacturers sometimes appear more expensive than large companies
An interesting comparison often arises with large manufacturers. Many wonder why a 3D-printed model costs about the same as a plastic model from a major manufacturer. The difference lies not only in production but also in sales volume. Large companies like Games Workshop have:
- huge production facilities
- Injection molds for hundreds of thousands of models
- worldwide distribution
- enormous quantities
- Production in low-wage countries
The larger the production volume, the cheaper the production cost per part. In contrast, a small 3D printing manufacturer produces:
- small series
- some are unique pieces
- with significantly more manual labor
This means that the unit price may appear higher despite modern technology. Not because production is inefficient, but because the scaling is completely different.
Hopefully, something will still be left at the end...
Once all costs are deducted (taxes, platform fees, licenses, machinery, materials, packaging, marketing, labor), ideally a small amount remains. This is called profit. And yes, this profit is also subject to taxation.
This profit is ultimately what allows a company to:
- buy new printers
- use better materials
- license new designs
- continue producing terrain and miniatures
Print yourself vs. buy
Of course, one thing remains absolutely true: if you own a 3D printer, you can produce significantly more cheaply. And that's a great part of the hobby. But not everyone wants to calibrate printers, dispose of failed prints, clean resin, monitor 30-hour prints, repair printers, and so on. 3D printing can quickly become a hobby or a source of a lot of frustration.
Some people simply want to unpack and play immediately, and that's exactly what professional printing services are for.
Conclusion
The price of a 3D-printed model consists of many factors:
- material
- machines
- Electricity
- wear and tear
- License fees
- Platform fees
- Steer
- marketing
- Product photography
- working hours
- Quality control
- Shipment
The filament or resin is only a small part of it. Or as they would say in tabletop gaming:
The material is just the base; the actual game happens on top of it.