3D printing cost per gram in the UK, and what the number includes

Quoted per-gram rates in the UK run from about 6p to 86p and are not comparable, because some are the plastic alone and others include the machine, the person and the postage. Sync 3D's rate is £0.18 a gram all-in for PETG: machine time, an engineer's file check, hand inspection and packing are inside it, no VAT is added, and the only other number is a £3.50 floor per part.

Prices and facts checked 24 October 2026: parts from £3.50, PETG £0.18 a gram all-in, delivery from £2.70 (large letter for thin parts) or £5.45 tracked (free over £40), no VAT, dispatch within 48 hours.

What a gram costs, line by line

So a service quoting 6p a gram is quoting filament and will add a minimum order, a set-up fee or a per-hour charge on top; one quoting 40p a gram all-in is twice this rate. Compare delivered prices for the same part, not per-gram headlines.

Worked examples, delivered

What moves the price besides weight

Infill: 20% is the default and most parts need no more; 100% roughly doubles the grams. Layer height: 0.12 mm layers take twice as long as 0.2 mm but the rate per gram is the same, so the price barely moves. Supports add their own grams, which is why orientation is chosen by the engineer. Quantity: 7% off from 10 parts, 12% from 25, 18% from 50. Rush: Priority +35%, Express +85% on the print price.

Questions people ask

How much does 3D printing cost per gram in the UK?

Quoted rates run from about 6p a gram for filament alone to 40p or more all-in. Sync 3D charges £0.18 a gram for PETG with machine time, engineer check, inspection and packing included and no VAT, with a £3.50 floor per part; a 30 g bracket is £5.40 and £10.85 delivered.

Why is the price per gram higher than the filament price?

A kilogram of PETG costs about £20, but a 30 g part occupies the printer for two hours and a person for ten minutes. The £0.18 rate pays for the machine time, the file check and the inspection; the plastic is about a sixth of it.

How does an all-in rate compare with a per-gram plus machine-hour price?

Many UK services quote 5p to 6p a gram and then add £1 to £2 for every hour the printer runs, a handling fee and a minimum of £7 to £9 per order. A 30 g bracket that prints in two hours comes to roughly £7 to £9 on that structure once the minimum applies; at Sync 3D it is £5.40, because the £0.18 a gram already contains the machine time and there is no handling fee. For a 10 g clip the minimums decide it: £3.50 here against £7 to £9 there. Compare the delivered total, not the headline per-gram figure.

Is there a minimum charge?

£3.50 per part, with no minimum order value and no set-up fee. Postage is £2.70 as a large letter for thin parts or £5.45 Tracked 48, free on orders of £40 or more.

Does infill change the price?

Yes, through weight: 20% infill is the default, 100% roughly doubles the grams and the price. Layer height changes print time but not the per-gram rate.