How it works
resin = volume (mL) ÷ 1000 × price ($/L). energy = power (W) × time (h) ÷ 1000 × rate. cost per print = (resin + energy) ÷ (1 − failure rate) + consumables.
Resin is sold by the litre and slicers report how much a print uses in millilitres, so the resin cost is a simple volume times unit price: a 30 mL print at $35 per litre is 0.030 × $35 = $1.05. Electricity is small on an LCD/MSLA machine because the UV panel and screen draw far less than a heated FDM bed — 60 watts over a 5-hour print is 0.3 kWh, about 5 cents at 17.3¢ per kWh. Those two are the cost of one attempt. Resin printing tends to fail more often than FDM — supports pull loose, the model tears off the plate, or a layer under-cures — so the resin and power are divided by the success rate to spread that waste across the prints that work; at a 15% failure rate you spend about 1 ÷ 0.85 ≈ 1.18× as much per good print. Finally, wash-and-cure consumables — isopropyl alcohol or ethanol, gloves, paper towels and filters — are added per successful print. The result is the honest all-in cost before any labor or markup, which you can layer on with the pricing calculator.
Sources
- Resin cost basis (volume × unit price) Resin is priced per litre; slicers report consumed volume in millilitres. Material cost = volume (L) × price per litre. This is the standard photopolymer material-cost basis.
- US average electricity price (default rate) U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Electricity explained: Factors affecting electricity prices." 2025 US average residential price ≈ 17.30¢ per kWh.
- Additive-manufacturing cost framing Thomas, D. S. & Gilbert, S. W. (2014). Costs and Cost Effectiveness of Additive Manufacturing. NIST Special Publication 1176 — AM unit cost combines material, machine/energy and labor, adjusted for yield.
FAQ
How much does a resin print cost?
Mostly it is the resin: multiply the millilitres your slicer reports by your resin price per litre. A 30 mL print from a $35 litre of resin is about $1.05 of material. Then add a few cents of electricity, a share of the resin lost to failed prints, and the isopropyl alcohol, gloves and filters you use washing and curing. A small model usually lands between one and three dollars all-in, before your time.
Is resin printing more expensive than filament?
Per gram, resin is usually pricier than filament, but resin prints are often small, so the material cost of a single miniature can be similar to or lower than a chunky FDM part. The bigger differences are the higher failure rate, the messier consumables (alcohol, gloves, filters) and the extra wash-and-cure step. This calculator captures all of those so you can compare a resin print against the same model costed on the FDM cost calculator.
What resin volume should I enter?
Use the figure your slicer reports for the sliced model — CHITUBOX, Lychee and similar all estimate the resin volume in millilitres for the plate you are about to print, including supports and the raft. That number is more accurate than guessing from the model size, because supports and rafts can add a surprising amount. If you print several copies on one plate, enter the whole-plate volume and divide the cost by the number of good models.
Why is the failure rate higher for resin?
Resin prints fail in more ways than FDM: supports can tear off, a model can pull away from the build plate, resin can be under-cured or over-cured, and a stray cured blob can wreck the next layer. A realistic hobby failure rate is often 10–30%, especially while dialling in settings for a new resin. Because a failed resin print still uses resin and power, the calculator spreads that waste across your successful prints so the per-print cost is honest.
Do I need to include electricity and consumables?
They are small but real. Electricity on a resin printer is usually only a few cents per print because the machine draws far less than a filament printer with a heated bed. Consumables — isopropyl alcohol or ethanol for washing, nitrile gloves, paper towels and filters — add up over many prints and are easy to forget. Including them gives a truer cost; set the consumables field to zero if you want to see the bare material-and-power figure.
Estimates only, not a quote. Resin usage, failure rates and consumable costs vary widely by model, printer, resin and workflow. Enter your own slicer volume and failure rate, and follow resin safety guidance — this tool costs prints, it does not advise on handling.