Resin (SLA) Cost Calculator
Estimate the cost of liquid resin prints, including cleaning supplies.
How This Tool Works
Resin printing (SLA/MSLA) is messy, smelly, and beautiful. Unlike filament, you calculate cost by volume (ml), not weight. We also add a specific field for "Consumables" because every print needs alcohol (IPA), gloves, and paper towels.
- Formula:
((Bottle Price / Bottle Volume) x Model Volume) + Misc Costs - The Logic: A liter of resin is your base. We find the cost per milliliter, multiply it by your model's volume, and tack on the cleanup cost.
- Consumables: We suggest adding $0.50 - $1.00 per print to cover the IPA, gloves, and filters you burn through.
How to Use
- Check your bottle (usually 500ml or 1000ml/1L).
- Slice your file in Chitubox or Lychee. They will give you an estimated volume in milliliters (ml).
- Estimate cleanup cost (don't ignore this, IPA is expensive!).
- Calculate your true cost.
Example Calculation
You buy a bottle of Standard Grey Resin for $30.00 (1000ml).
You print a hollowed-out D&D miniature using 45ml of resin.
You use a pair of gloves and some IPA wash ($0.50).
• Resin Cost: $1.35
• Misc Cost: $0.50
• Total Cost: $1.85
Why This Tool Is Accurate
Slicer volume estimates for liquid resin are surprisingly precise. As long as you account for the "waste" (resin stuck to the vat or build plate), this math is solid.
Limitations & Disclaimer
This tool focuses on the liquid and cleanup costs.
• It doesn't account for LCD Screen burnout (which is a real cost over
time).
• It doesn't account for electricity (use our Electricity Cost Calculator).
• For FDM (plastic wire) printing, use our Filament Cost Calculator instead.
FAQs
Liquid resin generally costs more per liter than filament does per kg. Plus, you have the hidden costs of IPA (alcohol) for cleaning, nitrile gloves, and paper towels, which this calculator helps you track.
Huge amounts. Unlike FDM, a solid block of resin uses 100% material density. Hollowing a model can reduce resin usage by 60-80%, drastically lowering your cost per print.
Monochrome screens last a long time (2000h+), but they are consumable. We don't factor that in here, but for a business, you should add about $0.10-$0.20 per hour of printing to cover machine wear.