3D printing is not priced per cubic centimeter or by weight alone. The price comes from slicing your part the way the machine will print it: how many minutes it prints, how many grams of filament it uses and how much preparation each build plate needs.
What drives the price
- Size and volume: more material and more machine minutes.
- Infill: at 15% a part prints much faster than at 100%. Functional parts go higher; visual prototypes rarely need it.
- Layer height: thinner layers look better and take longer.
- Supports: overhangs need support, which is printed and then removed.
- Orientation: the part is placed on the plate in the position that needs the least time and support.
- Material: PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA or TPU, each with its own price and speed.
- Quantity: printer preparation and start-up are charged per build plate; the more parts per plate, the less each one costs.
A real example
A small PLA part quoted in September 2026, before VAT and shipping: 1 part, MXN 218; 5 parts, MXN 96 each; 100 parts, MXN 63 each. 104 fit on a single plate, so ordering 100 takes almost the same preparation as ordering one.
How to save
- Use the lowest infill your part can take.
- Order parts together: a full build plate is cheaper per part.
- Avoid large overhangs or split the part if you can.
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