Print costs
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The short answer
Divide the amount paid by the net filament mass in grams. Multiply that unit cost by all the material used for the project. Include supports and purge once, then add any other recorded waste. These three spool references each list 1 kg net mass.
Last updated October 25, 2026
Polymaker PolyLite PLA in Cold White
eSUN Bone White PLA+
eSUN Solid Black PETG3D printer filament cost depends on the amount paid and the grams used. These three spool choices each list 1 kg net filament. Use your own amount for the exact spool, then count the full material use for the project.
Polymaker PolyLite PLA in Cold White
Our verdict:
Cold White PLA
The listing describes this PLA as beginner-oriented and states its net filament mass.
View on AmazonKeep in mind: This is standard PLA. Choose another supported material when the project requires it.
This reference is standard PolyLite PLA in Cold White. Its listed net mass is one kilogram. Use the amount paid for this exact spool in the calculation.
Our verdict:
Bone White PLA+
Record Bone White PLA+ alongside your paid cost and consumed mass to identify the selection used.
View on AmazonKeep in mind: Check the profile for this exact PLA+ formula; a shared filament diameter does not settle the material setup.
This reference is eSUN PLA+ in Bone White. Record its name with the amount paid and grams used.
Our verdict:
Solid Black PETG
Label this selection as PETG in your filament consumption records.
View on AmazonKeep in mind: Use a profile for the exact PETG spool; it is a different material family from the PLA selections.
This reference is eSUN PETG in Solid Black. Keep its record separate from the PLA-family spools.
Divide your actual paid spool cost by the net filament mass in grams.
Multiply that unit cost by the grams used for the print. That gives a material estimate.
For a new spool, use the stated net filament mass, excluding the spool and packaging.
When weighing remaining filament, subtract the empty spool's mass from the measured total.
Count the material for the model and its supports. Count purge material too. Check what the slicer total already includes.
If the slicer reports these components separately, add them before multiplying by your cost per gram.
Keep a record of supports and purge. Record failed attempts and other discarded material on their own lines.
Add only waste that is absent from the sliced total. Each used portion should appear once in the project record.
Enter Paid cost and Net mass from your spool records.
Use the sliced total for planned material, including supports and purge. Add waste only for other recorded losses.
Project estimate = (Paid cost / Net mass) × (Used mass + Waste), with every mass in grams.
Choose your project's material and color, then calculate using that spool's paid cost and net mass.
Record power and equipment costs on their own lines. Add labor if the estimate needs to include your time.
One kilogram is 1,000 grams. That unit conversion applies to the listed new net mass of these spools. Use the net filament amount, not the weight of a full reel and its packaging. When tracking a partly used spool, keep a reliable empty-reel mass separate from the filament record.
Choose what the paid amount includes and keep that choice consistent. For example, decide how to allocate a delivery charge across a multi-item order. Label that assumption. Do not compare one record with delivery included against another that leaves it out without saying so.
Use the exact spool's own record. A PLA+ name or color label is not a unit-cost figure. The material and profile still need to suit the project even when an entered amount gives a lower cost per gram.
Open the print-cost worksheet with the spool amount and net grams. Enter the sliced material total on the basis shown by your slicer. Check whether supports and purge are already in that figure before adding them again.
Keep a failed section with the project that used it. If you print it again, the replacement also uses material. Record each portion once. A leftover length that can still be used is not the same as discarded material.
The filament line is one part of a full project estimate. Use the startup budget guide for costs around the machine and the slicer guide to inspect a planned job. State which costs the final estimate includes.
We checked three exact spool references with stated net mass and material labels. Each had a qualifying new US offer at the check. Their common net mass makes the unit basis clear; the worksheet uses the amount you enter for your own purchase.
The calculation is arithmetic, not a measured cost from our own print run. Sliced use is a planning estimate until checked against the job. We keep extra waste and other project costs separate so the assumptions remain visible.
Calculate your cost per gram by dividing the amount you paid by the net filament mass in grams, excluding the spool.
Multiply that result by the sliced mass, including supports and purge material.
Record additional waste separately so you count each portion of consumed filament only once.
Polymaker PolyLite PLA is designed for models, prototypes and everyday printing projects.
Use the same unit basis for 3D printer filament cost each time. Start with the amount paid and net grams. Then count the material used and any separately recorded waste.
Choose the material the project needs before comparing your entered unit costs. These references cover standard PLA, PLA+ and PETG in specific shades.