Practical guide
3D print pricing: margin vs markup, with selling fees
Adding 30% to a print’s cost does not leave 30% of the selling price as profit. Percentage selling fees widen that difference.
Markup and margin answer different questions
For €10 of cost, a 30% markup gives a €13 price. Profit before selling fees is €3, so margin is €3 ÷ €13 = 23.08%. To achieve a 30% margin with no fees, the price is €10 ÷ (1 − 0.30) = €14.29 after rounding.
Include the fee on the selling price
Assume costs of €10, an 8% selling fee, a €0.30 fixed fee and a 30% target margin. These are example inputs, not the current rates of any marketplace. The required price is (€10 + €0.30) ÷ (1 − 0.08 − 0.30) = €16.6129. Rounding up to €16.62 preserves at least the target margin in this model.
Shared order costs matter
For a batch, charge setup once and allocate measured print time per item. Include supports and purge in material cost. Expected failed-print cost is modelled as a full repeated attempt; adjust assumptions where failures occur early or an entire plate is lost together.
The calculator excludes tax. A fee charged on a tax-inclusive amount or on shipping needs separate treatment. Customer exports deliberately omit the internal breakdown and profit.
Reference: Prusa print-pricing methodology and input discussion.