{
  "slug": "3d-print-time-estimate",
  "title": "3D Print Time Estimator",
  "heading": "3D Print Time Estimator",
  "category": "other",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/3d-print-time-estimate",
  "summary": "Rough print duration from layer height, height, and print speed.",
  "description": "Slicer software gives the exact print time once you've generated G-code, but you often need a ballpark before modeling or quoting is finished — when scoping a job, comparing layer height tradeoffs, or deciding if a part fits in an overnight print window. This estimator uses total print height divided by layer height to get layer count, multiplies by an average time-per-layer that accounts for both the printing pass and the non-printing overhead (travel moves, retraction, Z-hop) each layer incurs. It's a simplification — actual time depends heavily on infill percentage, wall count, part geometry, and travel distance per layer — but it gets you within 15-25% for typical FDM prints, which is close enough for early planning. For fine-detail resin prints, exposure time per layer dominates instead of travel, so the same logic applies with a different time-per-layer input reflecting cure time.",
  "formula": "Layers = Model Height ÷ Layer Height. Estimated Time = Layers × (Base Layer Time + Perimeter/Infill Time Factor).",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=3d-print-time-estimate",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "height",
      "label": "Model height",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 60,
      "unit": "mm",
      "min": 0.1,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "layerHeight",
      "label": "Layer height",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 0.2,
      "unit": "mm",
      "min": 0.02,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "avgLayerTime",
      "label": "Avg time per layer (print+overhead)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 42,
      "unit": "sec",
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "firstLayerExtra",
      "label": "First-layer extra time",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 60,
      "unit": "sec",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "hours",
      "label": "Estimated print time",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "layers",
      "label": "Total layers",
      "format": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "minutes",
      "label": "Estimated time (minutes)",
      "format": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Model height: 60 mm",
      "Layer height: 0.2 mm",
      "Avg time per layer (print+overhead): 42 sec",
      "First-layer extra time: 60 sec"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Estimated print time: 3.52",
      "Total layers: 300",
      "Estimated time (minutes): 211"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter model height (mm).",
      "Enter layer height (mm).",
      "Enter avg time per layer (print+overhead) (sec).",
      "Enter first-layer extra time (sec).",
      "Read your estimated print time on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "height": 60,
        "layerHeight": 0.12,
        "avgLayerTime": 25,
        "firstLayerExtra": 35
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "height": 60,
        "layerHeight": 0.2,
        "avgLayerTime": 42,
        "firstLayerExtra": 60
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "height": 60,
        "layerHeight": 0.32000000000000006,
        "avgLayerTime": 67,
        "firstLayerExtra": 95
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Estimates assume standard, average conditions — local rules, pricing, and materials vary.",
    "Results are rounded for readability; add a buffer before ordering, booking, or committing.",
    "Double-check anything with a real cost attached against a local quote."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Why is this estimate different from my slicer's number?",
      "a": "Slicers calculate exact toolpath length per layer based on actual geometry, infill pattern, and wall count, then apply your printer's acceleration/jerk profile to get real time. This tool uses an average per-layer time you set, so accuracy depends entirely on picking a realistic average from prints you've already run on similar parts."
    },
    {
      "q": "How do I get a good average time-per-layer number?",
      "a": "Look at 2-3 recent completed prints in your slicer, divide total print time by total layer count, and use that as your average time-per-layer input, ideally from parts with similar footprint size and infill settings to what you're estimating now."
    },
    {
      "q": "Does layer height change more than just layer count?",
      "a": "Yes — thinner layers (0.1mm) also print slower per layer at the same speed setting for good adhesion and detail, while thicker layers (0.28-0.3mm) often run faster per layer. This calculator only models the layer-count effect; adjust your avg-time-per-layer input if you change layer height significantly."
    },
    {
      "q": "Can I use this for resin printing?",
      "a": "Yes — set avg-time-per-layer to your cure time plus lift/retract time per layer (commonly 5-15 seconds for fast resins on a good LCD printer), and layer heights are typically 0.025-0.05mm for resin, giving far more layers per mm than FDM."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/3d-print-cost-filament",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/3d-print-cost-resin"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — 3D Print Time Estimator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/3d-print-time-estimate)"
}