lcd display 3d printer pricelist
Our answer has always been "it depends" as there are factors that contribute to the cost of 3d printing. You"re looking at anywhere between $3 to $1000(or even more) for the cost to 3d print based on these factors.
So today, we"re breaking down each factor for you. If you"re 3D printing at home, then those factors are your material, electricity and 3D printer cost. But if you"re looking for a 3d printing service or looking into starting a 3D printing business, this guide should help you understand how pricing works when it comes to 3d printing.
If you"re starting a 3D printing business or looking to make money with 3D printing, you might want to consider the price of a 3D printer in calculating the cost to 3D print something. 3D printers can cost anywhere between $200 to $150,000 depending on the technology being used.
Let"s say you purchased a $1500 3D Printer that you plan to use 8 hrs / day for 2 years. We"re going to ignore repair cost, electricity, etc. for the sake of simplicity.
"Send us the 3D model" is the second thing we tell our clients after telling them "it depends". Without the 3D model, it"s tough to come up with an accurate quote for a 3D print even for seasoned veterans.
With the 3d model on hand, we can calculate the total volume of the model, including the generated supports. The total volume lets us know how much material is needed to 3d print your file.
Not all 3d models are created equal. Some are 3d print-ready, while some are just plain crazy. 3d printing takes preparation and planning. For some 3d printing services, everything is automated, which can make transactions faster. For simple products, this can be the right solution.
But what about complex parts and architectural models? We found that even with the most sophisticated algorithm, you still need some human guidance when it comes to 3d printing these type of projects.
A quick story, a client sent us a 3d model of an actual stadium. They wanted a 3d printed version of this. As we inspected the file, we saw that the model had multiple problems. There were loose joints, the walls were too thin, and there were 3d models inside the stadium itself.
Take this into consideration. Are you willing to risk having your 3d model printed as is? Or do you want to make sure that the final print exceeds your expectations?
The materials that you choose matters when it comes to the cost of 3d printing. There are tons to choose from so we are going to focus on the popular ones, thermoplastics and resin.
Even if you are new to 3d printing, you have probably heard of "ABS" or "PLA". That"s because these two are the most widely used 3d printing material out there. Hobbyists love these thermoplastics as they are cheap. These filaments can cost between $20 to $70 per kg.[1]
Although they are cheap, getting a high-quality 3d print out of them is not easy. It will take hours of post-processing time to get smooth finishing from these prints. (More on that later.) In addition to that, 3d printing complex 3d models are nearly impossible using this type of material.
Resin is, in our opinion, the best 3d printing material out there. It"s versatile for almost any complex project, and it would give you the best quality 3d print. But at the same time, resin material can get quite costly. Standard resin, on average, cost $50 per litre, and some resin materials can go up to $300 per litre. Luckily, 3d printing companies usually have access to discounted prices for this type of material.
After 3d printing, the resulting print needs to be cured, cleaned and polished before you can consider them useable. That is if the 3d printing service company cares about the quality of their product.
Again, the 3d model matters as it could affect post-processing. Some models are so complex that the generated supports are very hard to clean. It would take some expertise and a lot of patience for someone to clean these prints.
At PrintAWorld, the projects that we work on usually require more than just 3d printing. Our clients would ask for their 3d print to have a gold finishing, chrome or even an exact Pantone color. With current 3d printing technology, this is impossible to accomplish. So we offer metal plating and painting on top of our 3d printing services.
For 3D printing companies to stay in business, they need to add a profit margins on top of the 3D printing cost. Profit margins for a 3D printing business can be somewhere between 50% - 90% of material cost. We"re using material cost as a basis for the sake of simplicity. But profit margins are actually much lower once you start including labor and overhead costs.
There is also a base price (or a minimum fee) that gets added if if the cost of 3D printing is less than a certain amount. It wouldn"t make sense for a company to 3D print something for you for a print that costs $3. Even in a highly automated 3D printing service, there"s still some labor involved. Either you add more quantity or pay the base price which is around $30-$90.
Now that we know what factors affect the price of 3D printing, let"s see how much it would cost to 3D print this popular WallStreeBets mascot by ChaosCoreTech.
Disclaimer. This is our 3D printing company. For SLA 3D printing, we are definitely the cheapest compared to the others in this group. Removing the supports and polishing is even included in the service.
3D printing services are expensive because we have to account for factors mentioned beforehand such as labor, post processing and overhead costs. We also have to account the industrial 3D printers that they use, which cost at least $100,000 and upwards. Plus, they have to add profit margin on top of that cost.
Here"s our thoughts on that:If cost is a problem for you and you"re only 3D printing for fun, then buying a 3D printer might be the better investment in the long run.
Ifyour time is more valuablefor you, then hiring a 3D printing service would be the better option. You"ll have access to large scale 3D printers and capabilities that is impossible to achieve with DIY 3D printing.
The Photon Mono is the best LCD 3D printer that we"ve gotten our hands on. We own 8 of these machines and use it as part of our manufacturing process. It"s cheap but the print quality is almost the same as the ones that we get from our Formlabs 3. If you"re looking to buy your first 3D printer, we recommend going for a resin 3D printer like this one instead of buying an FDM printer.
Multiple factors affect the price of a 3d printing service. If you add in all these variables, you"re looking at anywhere between $30 to $15,000 for the cost of 3d printing. The price can even be lower or higher, depending on the scale of your project.
3D printers come in many ranges. Starting from as low as $200 to as expensive as $20,000. The 3D printer price depends on many factors which determine the usage.
I have heard these questions many times: How much does a 3D printer cost? What’s the price of a 3d printer?However, it is equally important to know which range of 3D printers would suit one’s requirements.
Who likes to have a hobby worth $20,000? For the same reasons, there are categories of 3D printers that one must understand before making a purchase. A 3D printer’s price differs and so do our priorities.
As we have progressed year after year keeping 3D printers alongside our major productions, the technology has proved its worth. It has received recognition and researchers are trying to increase its application to a broader niche.
To do so, 3D printers are manufactured with diverse properties and build quality with a huge difference in the quality of prints. This is done to make the technology available as much as possible to every group of people.
No school can think of bringing a $20,000 machine to teach students after knowing it wouldn’t last much longer. All of these made a huge difference in the approach these 3D printers were designed at their initial stage.
Usually, those seeking an entry-level 3D printer are the ones having not have enough exposure to the technology. Their basic aim is to learn while practicing on a real machine.
The 3D printers used for entry-level can print no more than 3-4 inches in any dimension. Also, you may have to compromise with the choice of material. Some only let you use one material.
This one is considered one of the best budget 3D printers and requires 5 minutes to bring the temperature of the hotbed to reach the required level. All in all, it is a great option for those looking to make their first move.
Would you like to print for fun, but you haven’t finished your learning yet? You must select a better 3D printer that can achieve the desired results.
If you compare these models with the ones in the entry-level category, you will see a large difference. These printers are faster and create higher-quality parts.
Every 3D printer falling in this category has its own running time limits. Making these 3D printers work for too long continuously may put you at the extra cost of repairing and maintenance.
This does not mean a huge maintenance dosage but only following the guidelines for running the 3D printer. They come mostly assembled but may require few in some brands.
You can print normal quality print which is way better than the entry-level printers, however, nothing close to the professional ones. Noise is reduced and ranges around 50 decibels.
Competing with brands that are known for building the maximum number of 3D printers, Sindoh has a special place in the market for building consistent ...
Understanding the difference between hobbyists and enthusiasts is important to make the choice between these two ranges of 3D printer options. There is a very thin line that separates these two categories.
A hobbyist is someone who just wants to give shape to their imagination. The reason they want to 3D print is all about confirming their skills and finding peace in what they do.
Although a large number of productions isn’t possible as it is with professional range 3D printers, the streamlined intelligent workflow will get you the smartest print option.
Equipped with Smart Extruder Plus, the MakerBot Replicator Plus is an award-winning desktop 3D Printer created for those wanting a reliable solution ...
Professional range 3D printers cost between $4000 to $7000. 3D Printers falling in this price range are way better in terms of quality and ease of use.
You can use these printers with multiple colors and materials. Few of the brands also offer the fastest turnaround time while keeping the best quality intact.
Processes like bed leveling and other parameters are adjusted by the machine itself. You get the best quality for a price that is very competitive. It is also one of the fastest 3D printers available.
In the on-going competition to create desktop 3D printers, Fusion 3 F400-S is completely out of the box. It is an industrial 3D printer and so not ...
These are usually made of metals to help support the weight of mass production. Even the filaments used for these 3D printers are expensive when compared to the other categories.
The niche is huge and the application is wide. However, the cost associated with these industrial 3D printers gives way to other options. Hence, if there is no need for mass production, the need for these printers never arises. Moreover, these 3D printers come with a high cost of maintenance. But the print results are amazing.
These are very large which makes them unfit for small-scale productions. And, are mostly available as stand-alone units. These printers are used for making functional prototypes and are used within commercial productions.
As mentioned, 3D printer prices vary widely. The reason for this variance is the purpose and quality of 3D printing. You must ask questions to yourself: What do you wish to achieve with a 3D printer. This will clear some confusion to start with.
Choosing a 3D printer is a tough job. You must tick all the right boxes when it comes to spending money on 3D printers. As these are not cheap. Changing 3D printers every now and then is not a feasible job.
Once you have found out the purpose of your printing, you may look for an answer to the question: how much is a 3D printer? Do not forget to compare different brands before making the final choice. The more you research the better your chances become to pick the one you exactly need.
3D printing -- or additive manufacturing to give it its scientific name -- has been around for a long time now. It"s a fun way to create models that can be practical, or just for fun. You can print giant pieces of cosplay armor, or small statues to give as gifts. You can even buy a few printers, open your own Etsy store and make yourself a tidy profit.
These budget 3D printers all cost under $500 (though prices can drift a bit month to month), and some are better suited to beginners than others. Our list of
The Elegoo is one of my favorite ultra-cheap printers. When testing it, I kept expecting it to fail and it just didn"t. It produced amazing results for the price, and continues to do so every time I use it. It doesn"t have auto bed leveling, but the Elegoo was easy to set up. And because it"s based on the popular Ender 3, it has a lot of mods available to make it even better.
The Mini Plus is one of the best small-footprint printers you can buy. It has everything you would expect from a Prusa machine: Auto bed leveling, crash detection and great print quality, all for under $450. Building it with my son gave us a lot of good insights into how a 3D printer works, and potentially how to fix one.
The Ender 3 is one of the bestselling 3D printers of all time. Its under-$200 price removes a huge barrier to entry for anyone looking to spend as little as possible for their first machine.
The latest entry-level printer from Anycubic is surprisingly good. It comes in kit form, which gives you a chance to learn a little bit more about the machine. While that makes the setup more complicated, the printing is much easier with auto bed leveling, something I have never seen in a $200 printer. It makes everything easier, believe me.
Overall, the Finder 3 is a great printer for the price. It"s perfect for a teacher in the classroom as the enclosure makes it stable, and the slicer can control multiple printers at once via Wi-Fi.
As Dan Ackerman said in his review of the Creality Ender 3 S1 "At $399, the S1 version of the Ender-3 is about $100 more than older versions but includes so many upgrades and quality of life features that it qualifies as a great beginner-friendly, plug-and-play printer."
You"re receiving price alerts for Official Creality Ender 3 S1 3D Printer with Direct Drive Extruder CR Touch Auto Leveling High Precision Double Z-axis Screw Silent Board Printing Size 8.6X8.6X10.6in, Upgrade Ender 3 V2 for Beginners
Most beginner printers use a plastic filament to create models, but there are plenty of affordable resin 3D printers, too. Liquid resin is a little more difficult to use than standard 3D printing material and requires safety equipment. But it also produces amazingly detailed results.
This small resin printer is Elegoo"s latest model in its popular Mars line. Because of the 4K monochrome LCD (these printers use light from an LCD to cure liquid resin) it can print much faster than older printers. The level of detail on models is something that standard 3D printing simply can"t reproduce. At this price, the Elegoo Mars 3 is the best resin printer for the money.
This is expensive for a budget printer, but well worth it if you want a large enough print area to make something special. I have been using this as my main resin printer and it can handle anything I throw at it, from a D&D miniature army to highly detailed sculptures.
Most home 3D printers use PLA or ABS plastic. Professional printers can use all sorts of materials, from metal to organic filament. Some printers use a liquid resin, which is much more difficult to handle but offers sharper details. As a beginner, use PLA. It"s non-toxic, made mostly of cornstarch and sugarcane, handles easily, and is inexpensive. However, it"s more sensitive to heat, so don"t leave your 3D prints on the dashboard of a car on a hot day.
Most 3D printers include or link to recommended software, which can handle converting 3D STL or other files into formats supported by the printer. Stick with the suggested presets to start, with one exception. I"ve started adding a raft, or bottom layer of filament, to nearly everything I print. It has cut down dramatically on prints that don"t adhere to the bed properly, which is a common issue. If you continue to have problems, rub a standard glue stick on the print bed right before printing.
Your 3D models probably need some help to print properly, as these printers don"t do well with big overhangs -- for example, an arm sticking out from a figure. Your 3D printer software can usually automatically calculate and add supports, meaning little stands that hold up all those sticking-out parts of the model. After the print is done, clip the supports off with micro cutters and file down any nubs or rough edges with hobby files.
Testing 3D printers is an in-depth process. Printers often don"t use the same materials, or even the same process to create models. I test SLA, 3D printers that use resin and light to print, and FDM, printers that melt plastic onto a plate. Each has a unique methodology. Core qualifiers I look at include:Hardware quality
Testing resin requires different criteria so I use the Ameralabs standard test -- printing out a small resin model that looks like a tiny town. This helps determine how accurate the printer is, how it deals with small parts and how well the UV exposure works at different points in the model.
Many other anecdotal test prints, using different 3D models, are also run on each printer to test the longevity of the parts and how well the machine copes with various shapes.
For the other criteria, I research the company to see how well it responds to support queries from customers and how easy it is to order replacement parts and install them yourself. Kits (printers that come only semi-assembled) are judged by how long, and how difficult, the assembly process is.
One of the most asked 3D printing questions is how much does a 3D printer cost? How much is a 3D printer? 3D printers are great, but if they cost too much, no one will be able to afford one.
In fact, 3D printers cost less than they ever have. Just six years ago you would struggle to find a good 3D printer under $1,000, whereas now there are usable 3D printers starting at just under $200.
This article will explain 3D printer prices in each category, from the cheapest entry level 3D printers to the highest quality industrial 3D printers, and the features you can expect for the price.
It’s also important to remember that the cost of a 3D printer doesn’t end when you buy it and take it home. Ongoing costs of 3D printing include material costs, software costs, post-processing costs and more.
These are the lowest price 3D printers that are durable and reliable enough to recommend. If you’re wondering how much a small 3D printer costs, you’re probably looking for this category.
Though inexpensive, they are less suitable for beginners as they are often DIY 3D printers you need to assemble yourself, requiring tech know-how, especially if you want to upgrade it more down the line with better extruders, nozzles, and other parts. They are usually RepRap 3D printers.
These 3D printers often have a small build volume if they come assembled, or medium size if a 3D printer kit. They are not usually compatible with many materials as they can’t reach high extruder or heated bed temperatures, though if you only plan on using 3D printer filaments such as PLA this isn’t a problem.
You cannot expect remarkably high reliability with these 3D printers, which can on occasion cause a headache when parts break. In this price range very few 3D printers will have a dual extruder, and will often require you to calibrate them, which may be too complex for beginners to 3D printing.
You’re mostly restricted to FDM printers here, though some LCD printers fall into this price range.NameBuild Volume (mm)PriceBest place to buy (with link)Monoprice Mini Delta110 x 110 x 120$175
These hobbyist desktop 3D printers are small, reasonably inexpensive and far better suited to new beginners, as well as experienced makers seeking a better quality and more reliable 3D printer.
Though these 3D printers cost more, they can often print larger parts — especially those with an open build area — and they usually have heated beds to print tougher filaments like ABS. Though more reliable than very low-cost 3D printers, they are not as reliable as more professional 3D printers priced in the thousands.
When considering how much is a good 3D printer, many will point you towards either a machine in this 3D printer price range, or perhaps slightly higher. Lower priced printers are considered basic, whereas these printers are more powerful.
These are the more robust, durable and workhorse 3D printers with key quality of life improvements that automate some of the more technical aspects to save you time and stress.
3D printers priced above $1,000 usually include filament run-out detectors, automatically powering off when printing has finished, automatic pausing in the event of a power outage to resume where you left off, and all forms of calibration and remote printing via WiFi on a smartphone or laptop.
Another key improvement for 3D printers in this price range is the wider range of filaments and materials you can print, commonly able to 3D print carbon fiber filaments, Nylon, Polycarbonateand more. Good desktop 3D printers are capable of 50-micron accuracy, and at the top end of this price range viable resin 3D printers appear for high-quality resin part production.
3D printers in this price range often have good customer service for any problems you may encounter with your 3D printer.NameBuild Volume (mm)3D Printer PriceBest place to buy (with link)Dremel Digilab 3D45254 x 154 x 170$1,899
At this level, your 3D printer should be able to print parts for you all day, all night, and all day again with no issue. And these parts should be good enough quality for real functional prototype and form and shape testing.
FDM 3D printers in this category are normally large 3D printers, such as the Raise3D Pro2 Plus, and almost always come with a dual extruder. These printers can maintain higher print speeds without losing quality, and are often seen in universities and schools for STEM 3D printing education, small businesses for rapid prototyping, and in clubs and societies related to making.
Within this 3D printer price range, the lowest SLS 3D printersbecome available. Heavily used in prototyping, SLS printers use plastic powders to create parts that don’t require any supports, leading to better quality finished parts without the same need for post processing. These start at around $6,000, but often cost into the tens of thousands.NameBuild Volume (mm)PriceBest place to buy (with link)Raise3D Pro2305 x 305 x 300$3,999
These industrial 3D printers are built to last and to be extremely durable. These are often metal 3D printers using DMLS, Binder Jetting or EBM technologies.
These printers offer extremely fast speeds and multiple part simultaneous printing, entering territory where 3D printing can be considered a viable short to medium volume manufacturing option. They are used in huge factories, for automotive companies like BMW, and in the space and medical sectors.
If you’re wondering how much a metal 3D printer costs, they’re difficult to find for less than $80,000. Many fall in the $100,000-$300,000 bracket, with some, such as Concept Laser’s X Line 2000R, costing several million dollars.
In addition to the high price, they may require frequent maintenance check-ups by trained company staff, and the materials used to print, making them some of the most expensive 3D printers – but they offer extremely high-quality parts.
Once you’ve bought a 3D printer, you need the materials to print with. If you’re using an FDM 3D printer, you need filament such as PLA or ABS; if you’re using a resin 3D printer then you’ll need resin, and if you’re using an SLS 3D printer, you’ll need the polymer powder.
The lowest cost resins for LCD printers like the Elegoo Mars and AnyCubic Photon range start at around $20 for 500ml, and around $35 for 1 liter. Third party higher quality resins used for 3D printers such as Formlabs’ Form 3 start at around $85, with Formlabs selling their own resins that start at $149.
Of course, this varies wildly – a tiny 3D printed ring mold may cost you $0.10, and a huge vase that takes a day to print could cost $10. One $20 filament spool is enough to print a few hundred standard sized chess pieces, with FDM known for being the cheapest and most accessible 3D printing technology by quite some distance.
You also need to account for failed prints. Depending on how reliable your 3D printer is, prints could fail up to 10% of the time. Therefore, a conservative estimate would be to add 10% to your printing costs, though this depends on the size of the print and your print settings.
When calculating how much a 3D printer costs, you need to also account for any repairs that you’ll need to pay for, as well as any upgrades you may want to improve your 3D printing experience.
Some 3D printer parts need to be replaced more often than others, such as a 3D printer’s nozzle. Depending how much you print, you could get through many nozzles per year – though these are fairly inexpensive. Standard brass nozzles will be eviscerated by abrasive filaments such as carbon fiber, so consider investing in a hardened steel or ruby-tipped nozzle for these.
You also need to think about any potential upgrades you may purchase, such as for your 3D printer’s extruder or hot end. These upgrades can cost between $50 to $150 for high quality E3D or similar brand extruders and hot ends, but will greatly improve your 3D printing options.We recommend extruders in our 3D printer extruder guide.
3D printers require electricity to print, which adds to your costs. However, these costs aren’t huge. If you used your 3D printer for an average of 2 hours per day, your yearly bill would probably be under $10, depending on where you live. But it isn’t free, so should be considered.
If you are designing your own models then you may need to purchase a 3D CAD program, though there are some free 3D software tools out there such as Blender.
Additionally, you’ll need a 3D slicer to slice your models for printing. There are free 3D slicers like Cura available as well as paid slicers like Simplify3D which increase your total printing costs.
In some cases you may even scan an object you want to create a 3D printed model of using a 3D scanner. Cheap 3D scanners start at just $100, but professional scanners can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Once you’ve printed your part, you may want to sand, paint or polish it. These all add to your total costs of printing. Be sure to account for the paints, sanding tools and polish.We recommend a number of post-processing tools in our guide to 3D printer accessories.
In some cases, you may want to factor in your time as a cost as well. When you choose to spend your time 3D printing, you give up working on another fun project, enjoying other kinds of leisure time, or earning money working. In rare cases one may factor in the value of their time into 3D printing costs.
For example, if you earn $20 an hour, and you spent two hours working on a 3D printing project, the opportunity cost of your time is $40. Now, you shouldn’t feel like you’re on the clock if you’re having fun exploring your creativity on the weekends, but for more commercially-minded makers calculating 3D printing costs to start a 3D printing business, this is something to keep in mind.
3D printers are no longer exclusively for enthusiasts or professional applications. As 3D printer technology develops, so does device availability and practicality. Many brands offer numerous 3D printers for beginners at an affordable price. Pro 3D printers, meanwhile, continue to reach new heights of power and innovative design.
We have assembled a wide selection of the best 3D printer deals that will please everybody — from hobbyists to families to professionals! To ensure that you find the 3D printer that fits your needs, however, there are a few aspects of the process to get familiar with before making your selection.
A major distinction between 3D printers is how the device functions. FDM or Fused Deposition Modeling printers work by extruding materials called filament through a heated extruder nozzle onto what is called a build plate or print bed. Layer after layer of filament is stacked on top of each other until the finished project is complete. In some FDM 3D printers, only the nozzle may move, but on more advanced machines, both the extruder and build plate will move to improve print times.
Filament is inexpensive to produce and readily available, making FDM devices excellent 3D printers for beginners. The wide range of available filament types also makes FDM printers relatively versatile. PLA filament is the most common, but other materials such as ABS plastic are also commonly used. Note that every 3D printer filament material has its own properties, so it is important to know if you are working with a material that requires (for example) good ventilation during the printing process, or storage away from heat and moisture.
Resin 3D printers function by using light to treat and cure liquid resin into the layers of an object. Compared to the work produced by FDM printers, the finished products of resin 3D printers are capable of much higher levels of detail and durability. Multiple types of resin printers are available, including LCD printers, DLP printers and SLA (stereolithography) printers. The three printing technologies have many similarities, but work differently and have their own advantages and considerations.
One thing to note with resin 3D printers is the technology used to create objects and their inherent high level of detail. Because of this, resin 3D printers can take quite some time to complete projects, and they often have smaller build volumes than FDM printers, meaning the size of finished products can be limited.
Some features can help improve your 3D printing experience on any type of printer. Auto leveling is a great example. Many of today’s top models in both resin and FDM printers now include bed leveling systems that automatically straighten and calibrate the height of the build surface, which is crucial for consistent excellence in your printing. It is also worthwhile to check which software each model of 3D printer is compatible with — some use proprietary software, while others are compatible with common open source 3D printing software options.
If you are looking to buy a 3D printer but are not sure which is right for you, check out our buying guide to get answers to all of your questions! We cover the differences in filament materials and printing technologies in detail so you can choose the 3D printer that offers everything you need.
3D printing pens take accessibility to new levels by being incredibly easy to use and cost efficient. These devices are excellent for younger users or anyone interested in getting into 3D printing without steep initial costs.
3D printing pens are also amazing supplemental devices because they can be used to touch up or connect larger 3D printed objects. Other 3D printer accessories include replacement parts, system enclosures and add ons that look to provide increased functionality to any 3D printing device. Specific print jobs can require specialized accessories to complete, and tools like the AMX3D printing utility tool can help make using a 3D printer as streamlined and efficient as possible. Larger 3D printer accessories like the Creality Ender 3 Pro Enclosure or the Inland Reusable Filament Spool help to organize printer workspaces and are a great, inexpensive way to improve workflow.
Whether you are just getting started with 3D printing or you are a professional in search of cutting edge tools, Micro Center’s selection of 3D printers and accessories has everything you need to print the designs of your dreams. Shop our whole lineup of 3D printers right here, or see our Help Center for expert answers and live chat with Micro Center employees.
3D printers are no longer exclusively for enthusiasts or professional applications. As 3D printer technology develops, so does device availability and practicality. Many brands offer numerous 3D printers for beginners at an affordable price. Pro 3D printers, meanwhile, continue to reach new heights of power and innovative design.
We have assembled a wide selection of the best 3D printer deals that will please everybody — from hobbyists to families to professionals! To ensure that you find the 3D printer that fits your needs, however, there are a few aspects of the process to get familiar with before making your selection.
A major distinction between 3D printers is how the device functions. FDM or Fused Deposition Modeling printers work by extruding materials called filament through a heated extruder nozzle onto what is called a build plate or print bed. Layer after layer of filament is stacked on top of each other until the finished project is complete. In some FDM 3D printers, only the nozzle may move, but on more advanced machines, both the extruder and build plate will move to improve print times.
Filament is inexpensive to produce and readily available, making FDM devices excellent 3D printers for beginners. The wide range of available filament types also makes FDM printers relatively versatile. PLA filament is the most common, but other materials such as ABS plastic are also commonly used. Note that every 3D printer filament material has its own properties, so it is important to know if you are working with a material that requires (for example) good ventilation during the printing process, or storage away from heat and moisture.
Resin 3D printers function by using light to treat and cure liquid resin into the layers of an object. Compared to the work produced by FDM printers, the finished products of resin 3D printers are capable of much higher levels of detail and durability. Multiple types of resin printers are available, including LCD printers, DLP printers and SLA (stereolithography) printers. The three printing technologies have many similarities, but work differently and have their own advantages and considerations.
One thing to note with resin 3D printers is the technology used to create objects and their inherent high level of detail. Because of this, resin 3D printers can take quite some time to complete projects, and they often have smaller build volumes than FDM printers, meaning the size of finished products can be limited.
Some features can help improve your 3D printing experience on any type of printer. Auto leveling is a great example. Many of today’s top models in both resin and FDM printers now include bed leveling systems that automatically straighten and calibrate the height of the build surface, which is crucial for consistent excellence in your printing. It is also worthwhile to check which software each model of 3D printer is compatible with — some use proprietary software, while others are compatible with common open source 3D printing software options.
If you are looking to buy a 3D printer but are not sure which is right for you, check out our buying guide to get answers to all of your questions! We cover the differences in filament materials and printing technologies in detail so you can choose the 3D printer that offers everything you need.
3D printing pens take accessibility to new levels by being incredibly easy to use and cost efficient. These devices are excellent for younger users or anyone interested in getting into 3D printing without steep initial costs.
3D printing pens are also amazing supplemental devices because they can be used to touch up or connect larger 3D printed objects. Other 3D printer accessories include replacement parts, system enclosures and add ons that look to provide increased functionality to any 3D printing device. Specific print jobs can require specialized accessories to complete, and tools like the AMX3D printing utility tool can help make using a 3D printer as streamlined and efficient as possible. Larger 3D printer accessories like the Creality Ender 3 Pro Enclosure or the Inland Reusable Filament Spool help to organize printer workspaces and are a great, inexpensive way to improve workflow.
Whether you are just getting started with 3D printing or you are a professional in search of cutting edge tools, Micro Center’s selection of 3D printers and accessories has everything you need to print the designs of your dreams. Shop our whole lineup of 3D printers right here, or see our Help Center for expert answers and live chat with Micro Center employees.
To start 3D printing or Laser Cutting, you"ll need to create an account here. Once done, you"ll be able to upload your files and get live quotes of yours parts
There"s never been a better time to join the world of 3D printing or, for experienced makers, to upgrade to a new model. With the right 3D printer, you can make toys, table-top models, stands, hooks, replacement parts for plastic devices or a new case for your Raspberry Pi. You can get one of the best 3D printers and plenty of material for less than $250 (sometimes even less than $200) or you could spend a bit more for special features such a larger build volume, higher resolution or faster output.
The two most common types of home 3D printers are resin MSLA (Masked Stereolithography) and filament FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling). The best 3D printers for beginners or those with children, FDM printers use reels full of plastic filament that is fed into a hot nozzle and extruded out layer-by-layer to form a solid model. MSLA printers use a UV-cured resin material to form a model layer-by-layer as it rises from a vat of toxic liquid that requires very careful handling and post-processing.
There are several factors to consider before buying the best 3D printer for you, so be sure to consider the questions before making a choice.Resin MSLA or Filament FDM? The two most popular styles of desktop 3D printing, resin MSLA and filament FDM 3D printers offer various strengths and weaknesses, and choosing the style more suited for your application will help you get better results. For many , especially beginners, filament 3D printers are a better choice because they are easier to use and work with a wide variety of materials. They are also far safer for anyone with children or pets around.
Resin 3D printers can provide a bit more detail, so they are popular among folks printing out game pieces. However, you need to handle toxic chemicals and wear a mask when setting up a print and, after the printing is over, you must wash and cure your prints. We have some resin printers on this list but also maintain a more detailed article where we name all of the best resin 3D printers.
How much build volume do you need? If you want to print out large parts in a single print, you’ll need a printer with ample build volume. This is usually directly tied to the price of the machine, so a larger printer is going to cost more money. Printers with a 100mm cubed or less build volume are on the smaller side, 150 to 220mm cubed are average, and 250mm inch cubed and above are considered large format.
Manual or automatic bed leveling?Leveling the bed of a 3D printer is an important but very annoying part of the process. Many printers have auto-leveling capability, which saves you most of the work and, considering that you can now find printers with this feature for less than $250, you should consider it a must-have.
What materials are you printing with?If you"re buying an FDM printer, you"ll want to use one of the best filaments for 3D printing so you can get good models. However, some substances require higher temperatures that not every printer can achieve. PLA filament, the most common type, can print on anything but more durable or flexible plastics such as PETG or TPU need extruders that can hit 220 to 230 degrees Celsius while ABS and Nylon require 240 or 250-degree heat. Also, note that if you want to print in TPU (a flexible material), you should get an FDM printer with a direct drive system that pushes the filament more directly through the extruder. Resin printers have fewer material choices.
Creality’s Ender 3 S1 Pro is the latest, and most impressive, iteration of the popular Ender 3 line. Not a cheap DIY 3D printer in need of upgrades like its predecessors, the $479 S1 Pro arrives fully loaded, delivering an out-of-the-box experience that’s simple for beginners and powerful for experienced makers
High-speed 3D printers are the new hotness, with the AnkerMake M5 leading the way. Launched as a Kickstarter campaign in April, the machine is now available for retail with a price of $799. The printer has a standard speed of 250 mm/s, which is five times faster than the average 50 mm/s recommended for Cartesian type printers.
Speed is a hard number to nail down, as you also have to factor in time for acceleration and slowing down for corners. Let’s put it this way: I normally run my bed slingers at 65 mm/s, and using a .2 mm layer height I can print Cinderwing3D’s Crystal Dragon (seen above) in roughly 25 hours. The delta style FLSun V400 running at its normal speed of 150 mm/s can do it in 11 hours. The AnkerMake M5 did it in 9 hours and 37 minutes at its standard 250 mm/s.
The AnkerMake impressed us not just with its quality and speed, but with its ease of use. This is a machine aimed right at the 3D printing novice who doesn’t mind splurging on a smart printer that works right out of the box. It has one of the best auto bed leveling systems, a smooth filament path that loads easily, a filament break detector and a built-in camera that can alert you when a print goes bad. Paired with WiFi and a smartphone app, it can tell you when a print is failing and let you cancel the run – even if you’re miles away. We didn’t experience any failed prints during our testing, but when we deliberately cut the filament to see what happens, we got a phone alert.
If you’re getting into resin 3D printing for the first time, you have an overwhelming number of options and price points. The good news for beginners is you don’t have to sacrifice your budget for quality. You can find the easy-to-use Mars 2 Pro on sale for as little as $200.
Its smaller build volume is perfect for gaming miniatures and trinkets but not larger models. And though its 2k resolution may not be the most detailed among resin printers, it is miles ahead of the quality you can achieve with a filament-based machine.
The Anycubic Kobra Go is the perfect budget 3D printer for new makers wanting to learn the craft as well as seasoned pros who want a trouble free second (or third) machine. Sure, it doesn’t have a fancy touch screen, but it does have two features that make life easy: auto bed leveling and a PEI coated flex plate.
Anycubic kept the cost low – a remarkable $219 – by making this version a DIY Kit with a cheaper Bowden style extruder. Its tiny knob controlled screen might seem like a step backwards, but it’s so easy to navigate I didn’t even mind. The extra half hour or so spent assembling the printer is well worth the $100 dollars you’re saving when compared to the standard Kobra or the similarly kitted out Creality Ender 3v2 Neo(opens in new tab).
Any 3D printer can handle PLA, but when it comes to engineering grade material, you want a printer that gets hot and heavy. The Ender 5 S1 is a cube style printer with a titanium alloy heatbreak, an extra large cooling fan and a high-flow nozzle borrowed from the new Creality Spider hotend. It’s capable of reaching 300 degrees at the nozzle and a toasty 110 degrees on the heat bed.
The Ender 5 S1 is a good all around printer with auto bed leveling, a PC coated flex plate and easy to use touch screen. It has an all metal direct drive that tames squirrelly filament – we printed completely string free flexi toys in both TPU and PETG, something not easily done.
We have a bone to pick with so-called experts who recommend cheap, unassembled kit printers to raw beginners. The theory is that building a printer from scratch is the only way to learn about their new machine. The truth is that kits can be frustrating to build, and bare-boned machines are a pain to get working correctly.
Instead, we’re recommending that beginners pick up the Neptune 3 Pro, a 3D printer that is reasonably priced, quick to assemble and easy to level. Anyone can have this machine up and running in less than an hour and have beautiful prints the same day.
Considered the best 3D printer overall by many aficionados, the Prusa MK3S+ has received countless industry accolades and awards, and with good reason. The MK3S+ is a powerhouse 3D printer that combines reliable hardware, feature-rich software, and a support channel that makes the Prusa signature black and orange hardware a common sight in 3D printing farms. The MK3S+ is based on the i3 platform and has benefitted from several generations of incremental upgrades which have resulted in one of the best 3D printers on the market.
Silent stepper drivers, removable textured build platforms, automatic bed leveling probe and more; the list of features that come stock on the Prusa MK3S+ is certainly impressive, but that’s only part of the story with the MK3S+. Prusa has developed their own slicer app, PrusaSlicer, for processing 3D models and is actively adding new features requested by the community. Features like the ability to paint-on support material, create variable layer heights and generate custom printer profiles are examples of how PrusaSlicer enables the MK3S+ to leap ahead of the competition.
If you’re looking for the most precise prints around, the Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K is your best choice. This MSLA resin 3D printer sports a 7.1-inch mono LCD screen that operates at 7500 x 3240, which results in a show-stopping 0.22mm XY resolution, the highest on the market. It comes fully assembled and is easy to use, just calibrate and go.
If you’re looking for your first 3D printer and don’t want to spend a lot of money, the Ender 2 Pro is a great choice. The machine retails for $169, but can often be found on sale for much less (we bought it for just $129 at Micro Center). Many printers at this price point are novelties built of cheap plastic, but the Ender 2 Pro is a solid workhorse (or perhaps pony) that shares many parts with its big brothers of the Ender 3 line.
In our tests, the Ender 2 Pro delivered great print quality when used with decement filament and a slicer. Our prints of 3D Benchy (a model of a boat people often for testing) and a crystal dragon looked fabulous.
Need to move the printer around the house? The Ender 2 Pro is a compact machine that weighs under 10 pounds. Its top mounted handle makes it portable enough to be stashed in a closet when not in use – perfect for the weekend hobbyist. The main trade-off is that the 165 x 165 x 180mm build volume is tiny compared to most printers.
The Elegoo Neptune 3 Plus is a game-changing 3D printer that brings large format printing to a new price point without compromising on the user experience. It offers a 320mm x 320mm x 400mm build volume, a direct drive extruder, automatic build platform leveling, and only requires a few bolts to fully assemble.
In our tests, the Neptune 3 Plus"s direct drive allowed it to print a squeezable model of a Pokemon Snorlax using flexible TPU filament. Many printers in this price range use bowden-style extruders that can"t handle TPU.
The Anycubic Vyper is designed for high-throughput 3D printing, and impressed us with its rock-solid build construction and impressive list of features. Silent stepper drivers, dual Z threaded rods and a high-airflow part cooling system are just a few of the many features that make the Vyper an easy choice for anyone interested in printing out large quantities of parts.
The strain-gauge bed leveling system allows the Vyper to quickly and accurately complete an automatic mesh bed calibration. This form of calibration is ideal for anyone who doesn’t want to spend a lot of time tweaking or calibrating the printer, and it worked well during testing and didn’t require any further adjustments to get an even first layer.
If you’re interested in printing models with lots of fine detail, the Phrozen Sonic Mini 4K should be on your short list. Using a 4K mono LCD screen, the Sonic Mini 4K is capable of printing high resolution models with a per-layer cure time of just over 2 seconds per layer. This translates to high detail and high speed, but you’ll pay for it in the difference in cost between the Sonic Mini 4K and other MSLA 3D printers like the Anycubic Photon.
In our testing, we found the Sonic Mini 4K’s ability to produce fine features to be as-advertised, so printing table-top gaming miniatures and small sculptures is something this printer excels at. In addition to the high XY accuracy, the Z-stepping is barely visible even at a standard 50-micron layer height due to the software-enabled anti-aliasing provided by the ChituBox app.
Do you want to print helmets, props and large pieces of cosplay armor – but you don’t want to slice them up into a jigsaw puzzle? Then the Anycubic Kobra Max is your dream machine. It has an enormous 400 x 400 x 450 mm build volume that can only be beat by the endless CR-30 belt printer.
The Elegoo Saturn is the counterpart to the smaller Elegoo Mars series of printers, which offer solid build quality for a reasonable price. The Saturn takes this formula to the extreme by offering a large 7.55 x 4.72 x 7.87-inch build volume while simultaneously increasing the resolution of the masking LCD. This, combined with the 2.5-second per-layer cure time from the Mono LCD, means that the Saturn can print more parts in the same amount of time as the smaller format Mars series of printers.
Creality’s Sermoon V1 Pro is a plug-and-play 3D printer with safety options useful for families, schools and libraries. Unlike cheap “toy” printers aimed at young makers, this $539 deluxe machine delivers quality results with a simple-to-use interface.
The Sermoon V1 Pro is fully enclosed in a white case with several windows, making it look more like a counter top appliance than any DIY kit. The case serves to hide all it’s moving parts, while also keeping the print area warm and draft free. The door has a sensor that pauses the printer – further protecting curious children from moving parts.
I bought a Flashforge Creator Pro 8 years ago, the filament odometer just passed 26 Km And its 98% all original parts... This Foto 13.3 Machine is another very nice 3d Printer. Well built and easy to use.. Thank you
I love the printer. I just bought another for my son via Amazon (David Koch) and I think I have my friend Jack Jones from Chicago, IL USA talked into buying one in the next month.
Very pleased with my machine. This is my very first escapade into 3D printing and this machine is very easy to use. It is very easy to set up straight out of the box. I had it printing the sample box within 10 minutes. The filament is fantastic from Flashforge also.
Its a amazing printer coming from a Geeetech I3 pro B this is a really good printer. Sinds I got it setup (just a mesh bed leveling) it started printer sinds then it has not stopped! Its amazing,
The performance category holds the promise of the greatest amount of value in 3D printing today and are poised to significantly disrupt the sales of printers in the industrial segment. Some 3D printers in this category have large, enclosed build areas (12″ in each dimension) and often can print pretty good quality parts out of higher temperature materials like ABS, Nylons, Carbon Fiber reinforced and Polycarbonate. Most printers in this category can print a wide range of materials, although to print them well, the manufacturer should provide print ‘profiles’ optimized to each material for their slicer software.
First, the best performance printers have the ability to print parts both quickly while maintaining superior print resolution. Don’t only rely on published specifications; you need to look at a physical sample print and evaluate the settings the print was done at along with the actual time to print.
Second, when making the sizable investment required by this price class, you want to evaluate the durability of the printer and required maintenance as this will still vary greatly.
Printers in this class are perfectly suitable in Education (middle schools, high schools, universities and robotics clubs) as well as in a wide range of commercial environments (small business to large enterprises).
Fusion3 offers a Performance-grade 3D printer that is one of the most affordable you’ll find on the market, with all of the capabilities you look for in a Professional / Performance 3D Printer.