3D printing, explained.
Compare materials, see what things cost, and learn how local 3D printing works — then get an instant quote and pick your part up nearby.
Materials
Which filament for which job — properties, best uses, and starting prices.
PLA Plus
Strong, ductile, cost-effective. Great for most prints.
PETG
Tough, food-safe, slight flex. Good for containers.
ABS
Impact-resistant, machinable, acetone-smoothable.
Polycarbonate (PC)
High-impact, high-heat engineering material. Electronics enclosures, under-hood parts.
TPU (flexible)
Rubbery, bendable. Phone cases, gaskets, grips.
ASA
Weatherproof, UV-resistant, high-temp. For outdoor parts.
Nylon
Tough, flexible, fatigue-resistant. Great for living hinges and gears.
PPA-CF
Carbon-fiber engineering polymer. Stiff, light, premium.
Compare materials
Head-to-head: which filament wins for your part.
PLA Plus vs PETG
PLA Plus vs ABS
PETG vs ABS
ABS vs ASA
PLA Plus vs TPU (flexible)
PETG vs TPU (flexible)
PETG vs ASA
Nylon vs Polycarbonate (PC)
PETG vs Nylon
ABS vs Polycarbonate (PC)
What it costs
Real prices for common projects, computed live from our quote engine.
3D Printed Prototypes
from $5Local 3D printing is the fastest, cheapest way to hold a physical version of your part before you commit to expensive tooling. Print it, feel it, revise it, and reprint the same week.
Replacement & Spare Parts
from $10Snapped a knob, lost a clip, cracked a bracket? A local maker can print a replacement from your file or measurements — often cheaper and faster than tracking down the original part.
Miniatures & Tabletop Figures
from $5Print tabletop minis, terrain, and busts from your own files. Choose our Ultra-smooth finish for the crispest detail, or batch a whole squad to bring the per-figure price down.
Cosplay Props & Armor
from $5Helmets, pauldrons, blades, and gauntlets — printed in pieces by a local maker and ready to sand, prime, and paint. Light infill keeps big wearable parts affordable and light enough to wear.
Custom Phone Cases
from $11Print a flexible, shock-absorbing case in TPU from a case file that fits your exact phone. Snug enough to snap on, grippy enough to hold, soft enough to protect.
Gaskets, Seals & Flexible Parts
from $21Custom gaskets, grommets, bumpers, and seals printed in flexible TPU — sized to your exact opening when the original is discontinued or was never sold on its own.
Electronics Enclosures & Housings
from $11Custom project boxes and housings for electronics, printed in ABS for heat tolerance and a clean, machinable finish. Add cutouts for ports, buttons, and mounts in your model.
Outdoor & UV-Resistant Parts
from $11Signage, mounts, and fixtures that live outside — printed in ASA so they resist UV, rain, and heat without yellowing or turning brittle.
Planters & Home Décor
from $5Print planters, vases, trays, and décor from your own designs. Light infill keeps decorative pieces affordable, and PLA comes in a wide range of colors.
Gears, Hinges & Moving Parts
from $43Gears, bushings, living hinges, and other moving parts printed in nylon — low-friction and fatigue-resistant so they keep working through thousands of cycles.
Earn with your printer
Honest, numbers-first answers to the money questions printer owners ask. See all earning guides
How to make money with a 3D printer
The pillar guide: what actually earns, real income ranges, and the one thing most owners get wrong.
Is a print farm profitable?
Farms earn $5k–15k a month when they work. Most don't. Here's the variable that decides it.
What to charge for 3D prints
A working formula with live numbers — minimums by material and a worked example, straight from our engine.
Side hustle: your first $100
The six-step checklist from idle printer to first paid jobs — no store, no inventory, no ads.
Selling locally vs Etsy
Etsy restricted most 3D-print resellers in June 2025. The honest comparison — and when Etsy still wins.
For makers
Honest platform comparisons — including where the other guys win — and how we keep the 0% fee.
Treatstock alternative
Treatstock is a real marketplace with real fees. Assista3d is a free local storefront with none. Plenty of makers should honestly use both.
Craftcloud alternative
Craftcloud ships parts from professional services worldwide. Assista3d introduces you to the maker down the street. Different jobs, different tools.
3D Hubs alternative
3D Hubs had the right idea — local makers, local pickup. The economics under it were wrong for that idea. Ours aren't.
Xometry alternative
Xometry is excellent at what it's built for: industrial parts and procurement teams. It is not built for a hobbyist with two printers — and there's no shame in either direction.
How we make money
We take 0% of orders — here's how that's sustainable, and how money might happen someday.