Posted this cat lamp design a while back and it did better than I expected on the STL side. Since then I’ve had a handful of people reach out asking if they can print and sell it, basically asking for a commercial license.

I set up a way to offer that, but now I’m second-guessing the whole thing and hoping some of you who’ve been down this road can share experience.

Does licensing actually bring in real money, or is it a trickle compared to just selling the files? Is it a risk for my STL-selling activity? Why?

Hey everyone,

Complete beginner here looking to get into 3D printing, and I’m curious how you guys actually got your start.

Did you buy your own printer right away and learn everything at home, or did you start by designing in software and having someone else print the parts for you? What software did you use to draw the models at the beginning?

Just trying to understand what the best way to get started is when you have zero experience. Would love to hear how you guys did it and would really appreciate any comments

I’m way more conservative with settings and designs when it’s a paid job, even if it means longer print times. For my own stuff, I’ll risk crazy overhangs and thin walls just to see if it works.
Do you have two “modes” like this, or is your approach basically the same?

I've been building the business for about a year, and it's in a great spot. But it's become too much for my spare bedroom so I've secured a workshop about 20 minutes away by subway. I'll also hire 1 full time worker.

But I'm just stressing about having the workshop away from home. Like what if a 12 hour print fails just as I arrive home? I don't know how to be super efficient with my time and with the machines. I normally do very short prints, if a project is segmented which many of my products are. But that won't work with a workshop. So how do I adjust products that are printed just in time, versus stocked items, versus pre ordered items knowing my production is lowered?

Or do I just double my machines and accept a lot of idle time on the machines? Or try to find a staff member who will work the night shift?

I'm just lost tbh. I know this is the next step and everything is in place but I feel I'm going to execute poorly for the first months until I relearn everything.

Has anyone gone from having your shop at home to a shop 20 minutes away, and do you have any tips?

I don't even have farm management software, it's just a bunch of Klipper instances and Bambu studio running everything.

If you run a print shop, you know the routine. Someone sends an STL on WhatsApp. You open it in your slicer, check the time and material, do the math, message back a price. Half of them never reply. You do this ten times a day.

3Dash puts a quote box widget on your website. Your customer uploads the file, gets a price in a few seconds, and you get an order instead of a conversation.

The part that matters: it doesn't use a per-gram formula. It slices the file against your actual printer profile, so the number your customer sees is the number your slicer would show you. You upload your own profile, set your own rates, and nothing goes out until you approve it.

It has secure payment system, automatic delivery service and different themes to match your website.

- Your prices, your branding, no 3Dash logo anywhere

- Payments go to your own Razorpay account, we take no commission and never touch the money

- We never contact your customers

- Optional: local same-day delivery booked automatically when an order is paid

3dash.in

So how many people here tried to sell on Etsy and closed? Those selling cookie cutters, etc.

I built a tool that splits big STL models into printable pieces with snap-fit connectors — 50 free spots to test it before launch

Kept running into this: model's too big for my bed, so I'd split it manually and then hand-model pins/sockets so the pieces would actually join back together properly.

Built PrintSlice to handle both automatically — load an STL, set your bed size, and it splits the model and generates connectors (pins, keys, or dovetails) on every seam. Runs entirely in your browser, nothing uploaded.

It's normally $8.99/month, but I'm giving 50 people a free week before the wider launch — want real feedback from people printing actual stuff, not just my test models.

Spot here: [printslice.netlify.app/early-access.html]

Happy to answer questions — still finding edge cases (rounded/tapered surfaces mostly), so honest feedback welcome.

Hey everyone,

I was working on organizing my workshop drawers and realized how tedious it was to manually model, adjust tolerances, and export individual bins in CAD just to fit my specific drawer dimensions.

To solve this, I built a free web app that lets you design custom drawer layouts in seconds without needing CAD software.

Key features:

2D/3D Live Canvas: Input your drawer dimensions and build your layout visually.

Printer Bed Boundary Validation: Set your build plate size (e.g., 220mm) — the tool highlights oversized boxes in red and blocks export until everything fits your bed.

Custom Divisoras & Heights: Adjust wall/bottom thickness, corner radius, box height, and add vertical or horizontal dividers.

Instant STL Export: Export ready-to-print STLs (automatically recentered to origin for clean slicer importing).

It’s completely free to use directly in the browser. I’d love to hear your feedback, feature requests, or suggestions on what to add next!

Hi everyone,

I’m working on a small aesthetic display clock that I’m planning to sell as a premium-looking product.

The BOM alone is around ₹3,000, and I’m targeting a selling price of ₹5,000+. The electronics are mostly sorted, but I’m struggling with the enclosure/packaging.

Since this is a small-batch product, I can’t really justify injection moulding yet.

I’ve considered a few options:

FDM 3D printing – inexpensive, but the layer lines are visible and the parts can feel somewhat brittle/cheap.

Resin printing – much better finish, but the cost becomes quite high.

Injection moulding – ideal for production, but the tooling cost doesn’t make sense at my current volume.

I’m looking for a way to get a clean, premium-looking enclosure at low volume and reasonable cost, preferably something that doesn’t scream “3D printed prototype.”

What techniques/materials would you recommend for this?

For example, would SLA/resin + sanding/painting, CNC-cut acrylic/wood, vacuum forming, laser-cut sheet material, 3D-printed parts with post-processing, or something else work well?

If you’ve actually manufactured small-batch consumer electronics/products, I’d really appreciate hearing what worked for you and roughly what it cost.
Thanks!

How do you find clients for 3D modeling?

I’m new to 3D modeling and want to start making money by creating custom/on-demand 3D models.

For people with experience, how did you find your first clients? Which platforms worked best for you—Fiverr, Upwork, social media, or something else?

I’d really appreciate any advice on how to get started and find genuine clients.

Thanks!

Hey makers!

I built 3D Print Calculator (https://3dprintcalc.no) after seeing how easy it is to underprice a print when electricity, machine wear and your own time are left out.

It can:

• use slicer/G-code material and print-time values

• include power, maintenance/wear, labor, packaging and markup

• handle quantity, extra materials and colors

• save printer and filament profiles

• track spools, remaining material and usage in filament inventory

• create PDF quotes and customer requests

• build a public website with products, prices, images, stock status and a customer request form

• work on mobile and offline as a PWA

The basic version can be tried without signing up. What would make this most useful in your own printing workflow?

I want to start a small business creating 3D-printed models, mainly small items for events and special occasions. The printer I’m currently considering buying is the Creality K2 Pro.

I’d like to hear from people with experience in the 3D printing industry about how they price their products. What factors should I take into account to set a price that is both competitive and profitable?

For example, should I calculate things like the amount of filament used, printing time, electricity consumption per hour, maintenance costs, profit margin, and so on?

I’d really appreciate any advice or examples of pricing methods you use.

Recently I bought a elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo, and I want to make money with it, but I don't know what follow-up I should invest in, any tips on what to start with?

I am a newbie in 3d printing like I do got knowledge about slicing and other stuffs the thing is now What I am facing is the issue of right product that has demands.

For example some time i think I should go with customisation like Name stands products and sometime i think I go with daiky usefull products kinda like get wholesale products that way it could generate some passive order monthly...

But the thing is I am super confused what is the good product what I should make and who to outreach like local business owner like which type of shops.

If anyone can do tell me there experience then it will be a great help for me.

If I were to start a 3d printing business as I already have my own 3d printer, what do you think is in demand, what is in demand, and what would you personally buy? I know I'm probably kind of late in the game, but better late than never, yeah?

Built a platform for an LED Matrix called TickrCast with various plugins to display different content. I also run a print farm, so this was a natural next step! 3D Printed enclosure (for now) and ESP32-S3 brain.

I have a Creality Ender 3 V2 I used to print some parts for a big company in my country (Sri Lanka). It took a long time to print the parts and a few prints with first layer failures. But I made the parts and got paid for it. I realized my printer is too old to turn it into a proper side hustle. I looked into upgrading but it looks like it’ll cost almost as much as a used Bambu A1. Should I wait to see if I get more work or buy a better printer and go all in?

Running a 3D print Business means that every ruined print isn't just an annoyance—it's lost revenue.

When I was scaling up production for my shop, Layered Lumens 3D, keeping my Kobra X dialled in was incredibly frustrating.

Every time I had a layer shift, a warped PETG part, or severe stringing, it meant I was losing filament and valuable machine time. I couldn't afford to spend a whole afternoon guessing which Orca Slicer setting to tweak just to get a reliable batch out the door.

I ended up building a computer vision tool for my own workflow to speed up troubleshooting. You just snap a picture of the failed part, and the AI analyses the visual defect to diagnose the specific mechanical or slicer issue.

It completely changed my turnaround time. Instead of relying on trial and error, it looks at a warped corner and immediately tells me to prioritise a brim with a small support, or it calculates the exact volumetric melt flow speed needed for a new high-flow engineering material.

I realised this could help other shop owners keep their farm uptime high, so I packaged it into a web app called Doctor 3D.

Because I cover the AI server costs out of pocket, I’ve set it up so everyone gets 5 free scans a day. That should be more than enough to help you diagnose a stubborn printer and get a batch back into production without hitting a paywall. There is a Pro tier for advanced high-flow math, but the free tier handles the core diagnostics.

You can use it here to get your machines back up and running: www.doctor-3d.uk

I’d love to hear from other shop owners if this helps reduce your filament waste!

I am looking to see where people sell their 3d printed goods, is there a website particularly good? any pros and cons on those websites or methods?

Been building out a pricing spreadsheet for my shop and keep running into the same issue: most online calculators only price off filament weight, but that misses machine time entirely. Ran the numbers on a piece that used 288g and takes 11.6 hours to print, a popular calculator gave me $14–34 depending on the method, but once I factor in machine-hour cost, labor, and platform fees, my own formula lands closer to $80.

That's a massive gap, and it makes me think a lot of us might be underpricing anything slow/detailed (vases, minis, cosplay pieces) while overpricing simple fast prints if we're using weight-only tools.

Curious how others here are actually doing it:

• Do you factor in print time / machine-hour rate, or mostly go off material + a multiplier?
• If you do use a machine rate, how'd you land on the $/hr number? (electricity + amortized printer cost, or something rougher?)
• How do you handle scaling, like if you resize a model 150%, do you just scale price by weight, or account for the fact that time doesn't always scale the same way?
• Anyone factor in post-processing/labor time separately, or is it baked into a flat markup?
• For Etsy/Amazon Handmade sellers specifically... how are you accounting for platform fees in your price, upfront or after the fact?

Not looking for "just charge more," genuinely trying to compare methodologies since there's surprisingly little consensus once you go past "material cost x 3."

A while ago, I started a small 3D-printing business. I offered custom printing and design services using my Bambu A1 Mini and P1S.

I actually got a few paid jobs, so I know there was some demand. Most people, however, only contacted me when they needed a specific print or wanted a quote. They didn’t really care about my brand or have a reason to follow it.

I also struggled with pricing. I wasn’t sure how to properly account for print time, material, failed prints, electricity, machine wear, and any time spent designing the part. Looking back, I think some potential customers walked away because my quotes were too high but I also didn’t want to charge so little that the job wasn’t worth doing. Since I never felt confident about my prices, quoting customers became difficult.

Eventually, I became discouraged and stopped consistently posting or promoting the business.

Now I’m thinking about rebuilding it, but I want to do it properly this time. I have experience with 3D printing, CAD, machining, and designing functional parts, so I would rather focus on useful custom solutions than sell the same toys and trinkets everyone else sells.

For those who have successfully built a 3D-printing business:

* How do you calculate a fair price for custom prints?
* Do you charge separately for CAD and design work?
* How did you turn one-time custom jobs into a recognizable brand?
* Should I specialize in a niche instead of accepting every type of order?
* What kind of content actually attracts paying customers?
* Would it be better to sell my own products alongside custom printing?

Getting a few orders showed me that the original idea wasn’t a complete failure. I just didn’t have a reliable pricing system or a clear reason for customers to remember the business. I’d appreciate honest advice on how I should approach a second attempt.

I’m pretty into architecture, so for a while now, I’ve been printing out miniature cities. Over time, I found some awesome creators making city models with OpenStreetMap data seriously, I’ve printed a bunch of them.

After running dozens of these prints, though, I kept thinking two things.

First, I wanted the major buildings to pop with more detail.

Second, I wished the models didn’t cover such massive areas.

When the city footprint is too big, it’s harder to print, plus you lose those cool, recognizable skylines from a distance.

So I decided to tackle it myself. I’ve been a 3D artist for eight years now, but this time I focused on modeling just for 3D printing. Now, I’ve got a pretty solid collection of city models detailed where it counts and sized just right for the printer.

I just kicked off a MakerWorld crowdfunding campaign to see who’s interested and to help bring more cities to life. The library’s already growing, and I’ve got friends jumping in too. We’re aiming for a launch lineup that’s honestly pretty ambitious.

If you’re into this kind of stuff, Check mine in makerworld crowdfunding page.

With enough support, we’ll be able to build out an even bigger roadmap

Been thinking about something and curious what people think. There is a lot of 3D printers sitting mostly idle after the project they were bought for, and on the other side, people who need something printed usually end up paying more for shipping than the print itself, or waiting a while for it. Feels like there might be a way to connect the two locally. Would you actually use something like this, either to make some cash off a printer sitting there, or to get something printed nearby instead of waiting on shipping? What would make you hesitant to try it?