Calculators
Quick answer
16 calculators covering both halves of a desktop fabrication bench: 11 for 3D printing and 5 for laser cutting. Each one shows its formula and returns no answer rather than inventing a figure it cannot support.
Every calculator shows the formula it uses and says whether each figure is a published standard or a community convention. Where no defensible number exists, it says so instead of guessing.
3D printing · 11 toolsPrinting calculators
- Standard formula
Filament cost per print
Work out what a 3D print costs in filament from its volume, the material density and what you paid per spool, including waste and failed prints.
- Standard
Filament length to weight
Convert filament length in metres to grams and back, for 1.75 mm and 2.85 mm filament, using published material densities.
- Standard formula
Print time estimate
Estimate 3D print time from volume, layer height, line width and print speed, using volumetric flow rate and a realistic efficiency factor.
- Standard formula
Resin volume and cost
Estimate resin use and cost for an MSLA print from model volume, support allowance and bottle price, in millilitres and grams.
- Convention
Shrinkage compensation
Scale a model to land on target dimensions after cooling, using typical shrinkage percentages by material or your own measured part.
- Convention
Nozzle size to layer height limits
Find the usable layer height range for any nozzle diameter, and check whether a layer height you want is inside it.
- Standard formula
Flow rate and maximum print speed
Find the volumetric flow your settings demand, compare it against your hotend limit, and get the fastest print speed the hotend can actually sustain.
- Standard formula
First layer squish and Z offset
Turn a measured first layer thickness into the exact Z offset correction, and get the bed temperature and surface preparation for your material.
- Convention
Enclosure temperature rise
Estimate the chamber temperature a passive enclosure reaches from bed size, enclosure dimensions and insulation, for ABS, ASA and polycarbonate printing.
- Standard formula
Print farm throughput and cost per part
Work out daily output and true cost per part across a bank of printers, including failures, material, electricity, labour and machine depreciation.
- Convention
Buying a printer versus outsourcing
Find how many parts it takes for buying a 3D printer to beat paying a print service, including material, labour and the machine itself.
Laser · 5 toolsLaser calculators
- Convention
Laser power and speed by material
Community starting points for laser power, speed and passes by material, thickness and machine class, for diode and CO2 desktop lasers.
- Standard formula
Engraving time by area and resolution
Estimate how long a raster engraving takes from the area, the line density in DPI and the engraving speed.
- Standard formula
Exhaust airflow and duct sizing
Size the extraction fan and duct for a laser cutter or printer enclosure from its internal volume, target air changes and duct run.
- Convention
Air assist pressure by job
Choose an air assist flow and pressure for cutting and engraving, including the case where more air makes the result worse.
- Standard formula
Focal length, spot size and depth of field
Work out the focused spot diameter and usable depth of field for a laser lens from its focal length, the beam diameter and the wavelength.
Common questions
Why do some calculators refuse to answer?
Because some combinations have no correct answer. A diode laser cannot cut clear acrylic at any power, since the material is transparent at that wavelength, and a spool weight of zero cannot produce a price per kilogram. In those cases the calculator explains the limit and what to do instead, which is more useful than a number that looks authoritative and is wrong.
Do these work without JavaScript?
Every calculator ships with a worked answer already in the page using its default values, so the figures and the formula are readable either way. JavaScript only updates the result when you change an input and re-orders the product cards, which are all present in the HTML regardless.
How accurate are the results?
The parts based on physics and published material properties are exact: mass from volume and density, flow from layer height and width and speed, airflow from velocity and area. The parts based on community rules of thumb are labelled as conventions, and the ranges are shown where they matter. Your own measured test part always beats a general figure.
Which calculator should I start with?
For 3D printing, the filament cost calculator answers the question people ask most and feeds naturally into print time and flow rate. For laser work, start with the power and speed calculator to see what your machine class can and cannot do, then size extraction with the exhaust calculator before cutting anything.