If you're wondering how much to charge for resin 3D printing, the answer doesn't look like the filament one. Resin gives you excellent detail, but it brings costs a filament printer doesn't have: alcohol for washing, gloves and paper towels, an FEP film and a screen that wear out, supports you throw away, and post-processing that eats minutes of your day. Here's the breakdown so your price covers all of it, with a formula and a hypothetical example.
How much to charge for resin 3D printing: why it isn't like filament
With filament, material is usually the most visible cost and, on many parts, wear and electricity are pennies. With resin the picture changes. Resin costs more per gram, the process requires washing and curing every part, and consumables (FEP film, LCD screen, filters, gloves) wear out faster than most people expect. There's also almost always hands-on work: removing the part from the plate, washing it, cutting supports, curing it, and sanding or painting when needed.
That's why copying a filament price "because it's what everyone charges" usually backfires. First work out your real cost; then decide your margin. For the general method, see [how to quote a 3D print](/en/blog/como-cotizar-impresion-3d).
The costs that are specific to resin, one by one
Resin per milliliter or per gram
Divide what you paid for the bottle by its contents. Many resins are sold by weight (kilo) and others by volume (liter); the practical move is to convert everything to grams and weigh the part with its supports on a scale. Check the density on the manufacturer's data sheet: as a rough reference it's around 1.1 g per milliliter, but it varies by resin.
Supports and waste
The resin that goes into supports, the raft, and failed prints is paid for too. Weigh what the job actually consumed, not just the clean model. And add a small percentage for failed prints, which do happen with resin (damaged film, part detached, under-cured resin).
Alcohol wash
Isopropyl alcohol (or whatever wash liquid your resin recommends) gets dirty and has to be replaced. Spread what you spend per month across the parts you wash. Paper towels and filters count too.
Curing and electricity
The curing station and the printer use power. It's usually small per part, but it adds up. Measure consumption or use a prudent assumption and review it when you can.
FEP and screen wear
The FEP film and the LCD screen are wear parts. Divide their price by the hours you expect them to last and add that hourly cost to every print. If you don't charge it, you pay for it when you replace them.
Your post-processing time
Removing, washing, cutting supports, curing, sanding, and packing. Measure how many minutes it takes and charge for them. It's the cost people forget most and the one that weighs most on small parts.
On top of that, add general machine wear, just as with any printer. The step-by-step method is in [how to calculate your printer's cost per hour](/en/blog/amortizacion-impresora-3d-costo-por-hora). And if you come from filament, compare with the [cost per gram of PLA](/en/blog/costo-por-gramo-pla): you'll see why a gram of resin isn't directly comparable.
Price of a resin part
You apply your margin to the total of that sum. If you are unsure which percentage to use, start with a prudent margin and adjust it with your real sales.
Hypothetical example, with assumptions
Every number in this table is an assumption to show the math; none are manufacturer prices or your market's prices. Replace each value with your own. The part: a small figurine that takes 4 hours to print. You can repeat the math with your own numbers in the [free calculator](/en/calculator).
Cost and price of a resin figurine (USD, assumptions)
| Item | Assumption | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Resin: 30 g model + 10 g supports and raft | 40 g × 0.03 USD/g (30 USD per kilo bottle) | 1.20 USD |
| Waste from failed prints | 10% on the resin | 0.12 USD |
| Wash alcohol | Monthly spend spread per part | 0.15 USD |
| Gloves, paper and filters | Monthly spend spread per part | 0.20 USD |
| FEP and screen wear | 0.15 USD/h × 4 h | 0.60 USD |
| Machine wear | 0.075 USD/h × 4 h | 0.30 USD |
| Electricity (printing and curing) | Assumption per part | 0.05 USD |
| Your post-processing time | 25 min at 6 USD/hour | 2.50 USD |
| Total cost | 5.12 USD | |
| Price with a 40% margin on cost | 5.12 × 1.4 | ≈ 7.17 USD |
Look at what happens: the resin in the model is barely a quarter of the cost, and your time is almost half. If you had charged only for the liquid plus a little margin, you'd have given the work away. On larger parts resin weighs more; on small, highly detailed parts, post-processing weighs more.
One practical consequence: set a minimum price per order. A tiny part uses almost no resin, but it still takes file preparation, washing, curing, and packing. On a very small order, fixed time dominates and a per-gram price would leave you at a loss. And if a customer wants several copies, you can print them on the same plate: post-processing per unit drops a little and the price can reflect that, as long as your real cost allows it.
Weigh before printing and after cleaning
Your slicer estimates the volume of resin, but it usually doesn't include what goes into the raft, the failures, or what stays stuck to the container. On your first few parts, compare the estimate with what you really used and adjust your waste percentage with that data.
Safety and handling: part of the cost of doing it right
Liquid resin and wash alcohol need care. Read the safety data sheet from your resin's manufacturer and follow it; waste disposal rules vary by city or country, so check with your local authority. What follows is a starting point, not a regulatory guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much does resin cost per gram?+
Should I charge washing and curing separately?+
Is resin more profitable than filament?+
How do I include failed prints?+
Quote resin with every cost included
In MiNegocio3D you calculate each part's real cost with material and waste, electricity, machine wear, and time, and get the price with your margin. From 17 USD a month, with a 7-day free trial, no card required, and a 30-day guarantee.