Infill and layer height: what they change in the price

A 3D printed part is almost never solid. The printer first draws a shell: walls, a top and a bottom, solid and about 1 mm thick. The inside is then filled with a more or less dense pattern, expressed as a percentage: this is the infill.

The part is built layer by layer, from the bottom up. The thickness of each layer is the layer height, also called print quality. It is measured in millimeters: 0.12 mm, for example, is 120 microns.

Our price calculation follows the same logic: the material counted is that of the shell plus the inside at the chosen infill, and machine time depends on both settings. The full principle is in how the price of a part is calculated.

Infill is chosen when you order, from four levels. It changes both the amount of material and the print time, so it has a direct effect on the price.

On our reference bedside lamp, in PLA and standard quality, the unit price ranges from €14.22 with light infill to €18.24 when solid. Standard infill, the default setting, gives €14.64.

For a decorative object, a pot cover, a vase, a lamp or a figurine, the shell does most of the work. Standard infill is enough, and light infill suits parts that take neither impact nor load. Going from standard to light takes €0.42 off the lamp.

For a part that carries weight, is screwed in or clips on, such as a hook, a holder or a fastener, reinforced infill adds strength. It adds €1.38 to the lamp compared with standard. Solid infill, which adds €3.60, is for parts that must withstand a heavy load.

Infill cannot be seen from the outside: it changes nothing in how a part looks. Choosing more than needed raises the price without giving the buyer anything.

Layer height comes in three levels: fine (0.12 mm), standard (0.20 mm), the default setting, and draft (0.28 mm). It does not change the amount of material, only machine time: the thinner the layers, the more of them it takes to reach the same height.

On the reference lamp, in PLA with standard infill, that gives €15.99 in fine, €14.64 in standard and €14.07 in draft. Fine quality adds €1.35 to standard, draft takes off €0.57.

Layers show on curved and sloped surfaces, as thin horizontal lines. The thinner the layer, the less visible these lines are. Fine quality is worth it for a figurine, an object held in the hand or a part photographed up close, where detail matters.

Standard quality suits most objects sold in online shops: the finish stays clean and the print time reasonable. Draft is for functional parts, hidden brackets or prototypes, where looks come after price.

A part with straight, vertical shapes shows its layers very little: fine quality adds little there. A rounded shape, such as a lampshade or a curved pot cover, benefits more.

The two settings are independent. A decorative part on display can be ordered with light infill and fine quality; a hidden bracket, with reinforced infill and draft quality. The right choice starts from how the object is used, not from the highest setting.

To compare before ordering, the simulator shows the price of your file with the infill and print quality of your choice, and the pricing page details the rate card. The choice of material, which also affects strength, is covered in PLA, PETG or ABS.