How Much Does 3D Printing Cost in London?
Understand what affects 3D printing costs in London, from materials and file preparation to finishing, and what to send for a project-specific quote.
MAKE
10/2/20264 min read
Tear Bottles, a LILIS LAB project. Finished vessels and their sculptural stoppers. This photograph illustrates a finished outcome, not a priced example. View the project →
There is no single price for a 3D print. Two objects with similar dimensions can require different amounts of preparation, machine time and finishing. A useful quotation needs to describe what will be delivered, not just how large it will be.
At LILIS LAB, the starting point is your project: the file or references, intended use, quantity and required finish. This guide explains the questions behind a production quotation and how to give us enough information to assess yours.
Why size alone is not enough
Consider two hypothetical objects that fit inside the same-sized box: an open frame and a dense sculptural form. Their outer dimensions do not tell you how much material each contains, how it should be positioned for printing or how accessible its surfaces will be afterwards.
Equally, a smaller object may contain delicate details that require more careful preparation and handling. “Small” and “simple” are not the same description.
When sharing dimensions, explain what is being measured. An overall height helps establish scale; a critical hole diameter or connection spacing tells us something different about how the object must function.
Material and production time
Material consumption and printing time are distinct considerations. The material in the finished object is not necessarily all the material used during production: supports and other print-preparation structures may also be required. Machine occupation depends on the selected process, geometry and production settings, not just the object's weight. Manufacturer pricing tools recognise preparation, material, printing and post-processing as separate factors.
That does not mean LILIS LAB uses a universal hourly machine rate or the formula from any external calculator. A project quotation concerns the agreed work and result. Comparing raw filament or resin prices will not tell you the full cost of a completed object.
The condition of the file
A model that opens successfully is not necessarily ready for production. Geometry may need checking or repair, fine details may need adapting, and separate components may need assessment before an assembly can be manufactured.
Tell us whether the model is final or still changing. If you need design development rather than a straightforward print, it is better to identify that work at the beginning than to compare a production-only quotation with one that includes modelling.
For projects that need a new model, LILIS LAB quotes the design stage separately. An accurate final production quotation follows assessment of the completed, approved model.
Supports and post-processing
Supports help make certain geometries printable, but they also have to be removed. On resin parts, the location of contact points affects where marks may remain and how accessible they are for clean-up.
This makes the desired final surface important to the quotation. A part that will be hidden inside an installation has a different presentation requirement from an object photographed at close range. Neither is automatically easier to manufacture, but the acceptable finish may be different.
Rather than asking for a “perfect finish”, describe what will be visible, how close the viewer will be and whether the object will be painted. A reference image can help communicate the intended result, provided it is treated as a reference rather than a promise of an identical surface.
Finishing and assembly are part of the scope
An as-printed object, a prepared surface and a painted final piece are not equivalent deliverables. If you need sanding, priming, painting, a particular surface effect or assembly, include that in the enquiry rather than leaving it until after production.
Advanced finishing should not be assumed to be included in a standard printing price. Check what the quotation covers, including whether parts will arrive separately or assembled and whether a presentation finish is required on every face.
For work with several components, explain how the parts will be used together. If another person is completing the assembly or installation, identify which stage you need LILIS LAB to deliver. You can commission one service without commissioning the whole production process.
Quantity, testing and deadlines
State the quantity you actually need, and distinguish identical copies from a set of different designs. Repeating one approved part is not the same brief as producing several unique objects. If you are considering more than one quantity, ask for those options to be assessed rather than assuming a fixed discount.
Testing should also be explicit. Is the first object intended to check scale, fit or appearance before the remaining pieces are made? A prototype and a final batch serve different purposes, and the quotation should reflect the stage being commissioned.
Printing is not an entirely risk-free process. Preparation and testing help assess whether a proposed route is realistic; a calculator based only on material and nominal print time cannot describe every production uncertainty. This is not a statement that customers are automatically charged for failed prints. Any additional work or changed scope should be clarified rather than assumed.
Give the required delivery or collection date, not only the date of an exhibition or presentation. Leave space to discuss testing, finishing and transport. A deadline is a requirement to assess, not a guaranteed turnaround until confirmed.
How to request an accurate quotation
The most useful enquiry includes:
The current 3D file, or references if modelling is needed.
Intended dimensions and quantity.
What the object will be used for.
Any material preference, or the properties you need.
Surface finish and assembly requirements.
The deadline and whether delivery is needed.
You do not need to know nozzle sizes, layer heights or resin settings. If you are unsure about the process, explain the outcome instead. Include a budget if you have one so that possible compromises can be discussed early, without treating it as a substitute for assessing the work.
Compare quotations for the same result
Before choosing between quotations, check that they cover the same file version, quantity, material, finish and delivery arrangements. Ask what remains for you to do after receiving the parts.
The lowest headline figure is difficult to interpret if one offer includes only a print and another includes design work or a finished presentation surface. Clear scope makes the comparison more useful and reduces surprises later.
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