3D print cost calculator / Water-washable resin
Water washable resin print cost calculator
Water-washable resin skips isopropyl alcohol for cleanup, which saves a consumable. The resin itself costs a little more.
Typical bottle price
$25–45 per 1 L
Density
about 1.1 g/ml
Printer draw
Often 30–80 W
Cleanup
Water instead of IPA
Typical published ranges. Check your own spool, printer and electricity bill.
Estimated cost per print
$6.35
- Material
- $1.40
- Electricity
- $0.04
- Printer wear
- $0.47
- Labor
- $4.00
- Failed-print buffer
- $0.44
An estimate from the numbers you enter. It leaves out packaging, shipping, marketplace fees and tax.
Worked example
40 ml at $35.00 per 1000 ml, 4 h at 60 W and $0.16/kWh, a $350.00 machine over 3,000 h, 12 min of hands-on time at $20.00/h and a 7% failed-print buffer works out to about $6.35 per good print: material $1.40, electricity $0.04, printer wear $0.47, labor $4.00, failures $0.44.
What drives the cost
- IPA savings partly offset the higher bottle price.
- Wash water still contains resin. Cure it before disposal.
Common uses
- Home and small-studio miniature printing
- Beginners in small spaces
Watch out for
- It's more brittle than tough resins, and parts can swell if soaked too long.
Know your cost. Now check the demand.
A low cost per print is only half the decision. MeshNomics helps makers compare model interest and marketplace signals, review commercial-use permissions and evaluate production costs before committing printer time and money.
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