Are you ready to make money with 3D printing? Well, we have some excellent news for you. There are plenty of moneymaking opportunities awaiting you in the 3D printing field. You can turn your 3D printer into a cash cow even if you’re a novice! In this post, we’ll explore the hottest 3D Printed products and services that people are clamoring for. And we’re going to dish out some savvy business tips to help you succeed in the 3D printing industry.
Table Of Contents
Best Ways To Make Money With 3D Printing
Create And Sell 3D Printed Items
Are you ready to let out your inner entrepreneur and make money with 3D printing? There are various ways to design, print, and sell your own 3D Printed items. If you want to work on commission, for instance, you might need to stick with a set of specific designs.
Making a new 3D model for each order is necessary for personalized or customized items. By providing pre-designed things alone, you can create them in advance and send them out as needed.
Choose the kinds of 3D prints you prefer producing because there is a market for almost all. Find out where the people who buy such items prefer to shop after you’ve made that decision. You may then offer the products there.
3D Printed Products In Demand
How to make money with 3D Printing? Well, you can sell everything from planters to phone cases to home décor items when it comes to the items you 3D print. The products you sell should be in great demand with your target market. And, they should also align with your personal interests.
Let’s have a look at some of the most sought-after products you can make and sell.
Miniatures for Dungeons & Dragons: 3D Printed miniatures are in great demand right now. Unlike miniatures bought in a shop, you can customize them for your clients. You can paint the models before sending them out. But many customers prefer to paint them themselves or rather not paint them at all. We urge you to utilize a resin 3D printer for miniatures when carrying out this task.
Jewellery: 3D Printed jewelry tends to sell at a premium on sites like Etsy. But, the industry is quite competitive. A resin 3D printer, or even one with a high resolution of 4K+, is best for printing jewelry.
Cosplay items: Making and selling cosplay accessories can be rewarding. You can make money with a 3D printer by creating armor, helmets, and various other items.
Planters: It can be difficult to find attractive self-watering planters in retail establishments. They are popular items to 3D print in part because of this.
Toys: FDM printers make it simple to create toys that need little to no post-processing.
Where To Sell 3D Printed Items
With a 3D printer, you can sell the things you make and make money in many different ways, both online and off. Most sellers choose to sell on more than one site. In this way, they can reach a wider range of customers and markets and make more money.
Even though it’s important to have different ways to sell your products, you shouldn’t take on too much.
Offline Selling
If you want to sell your 3D Printed goods in the local area, you have many options. You can show off and sell your 3D prints at craft fairs, trade shows, yard sales, and festivals, among other places. Setting up your printer at your table can be an easy way to get people to stop by if there is electricity at the event.
Nearby shops or consignment stores can also display your 3D Printed items. You can locally promote your 3D printing firm without renting a storefront.
Online Selling
Selling your 3D printed products online is the best way to reach a wide audience all around the world. Later on, you should open up your own online store. In the meanwhile, the number of e-commerce outlets available to you:
Start A Profitable 3D Printing Business Nearby
One of the simplest ways to attract clients and make sales is to launch a local 3D printing business. You can produce exclusive parts, devices, and products for businesses nearby. This is especially true if there are many companies or plants close to where you live. Contact your local bakery for cookie cutters, awards, and medals.
The list continues. Once you start asking, it’ll surprise you how much you can give to your neighborhood. If you’re wondering how to make money with a 3D printer, this option has lots of possibilities.
It may seem hard to start your own business, but the process is actually very easy. Get in touch with your local government or the municipal board to find out what the rules are. You might find that you don’t need any rights or zoning changes to run it from your home. That depends on your location and the structure of the local regulations where you live.
Items You Need To Start A 3D Printing Business
3D Printer
Of course, a 3D printer is necessary if you want to launch your own 3D printing company. Here, you should use a reliable 3D printer that you know how to use and for which you have spare parts.
You don’t want to begin accepting customer requests only to have to cancel their orders a week later. This happens when you’re waiting for a new part or when something simple breaks and you don’t know how to fix it. Know your machine’s hardware and backup components before starting.
To provide your 3D printing services, you don’t need a top-of-the-line machine. But you should try to make one that works well and doesn’t take too much time. You must charge more for printing. Or, you can spend more on maintenance. Every minute you spend re-aligning your build plate, your printer is out of alignment.
It’s a good idea to get a 3D printer under $1,000 like the dependable Prusa i3 MK3S to save time.
But, you can speed up an inexpensive 3D printer like the Ender 3 V2 with Ender 3 upgrades. The BLtouch leveling sensor eliminates the need to hand-level the building plate.
Business Website
You need a website for lead generation and to tell people about your 3D printing business. If at all possible, you should have a qualified web designer set things up. Customers will, in the beginning, interact with your brand through this. As a result, you want to attract those initial clients in a way that is professional and credible.
Additionally, you ought to hire a visual designer. They will create your company’s logo, color scheme, and other branding materials. You’ll need them if you want your website’s design to be consistent with your brand.
Certain web designers are capable of both (and vice versa). If you decide to use one person for everything, make sure they have a solid basis in branding.
Your final website design can be as simple or intricate as you wish. The services you provide will determine this. It also depends on how much of the planning and buying you want to do online.
Customers can enjoy an online store, appointment app, and other premium features. Since you might also need to hire a web developer for your project, they will cost you extra upfront.
3D Printing Designs And Prototype Creation
You can make a lot of money with your 3D printer. You can use it to design and make samples of products, for yourself and for other people. If people want you to, you can charge them for developing and building prototypes of their goods. With the help of your 3D printer, you’ll be able to send your own sample into production. This way you can start your own product line.
Give Your 3D Printer On Rent
Many people like the idea of 3D printing. But, they don’t have the time, room, or money to buy their own printer. They might only need special printing once in a while. They might decide it’s not worth buying their own machine.
You may help with that by providing your 3D printer rental services. Customers might pay you to print their models on your printer as part of a printing service. You can make money with 3D printing if you do this when you are not using the printer for your own work.
One of the simpler choices on this list looks to be this one. Print-on-demand does, of course, have a few challenging factors to take into account. For all the time and resources used, you must receive fair compensation.
That includes the cost of your time leveling and taking care of the printer. It also includes the cost of wear and tear on your machine from more use. It’s also crucial to consider the 3D printer’s electricity usage and other expenses.
You should also consider how you will handle requests for specific filament colors. What kinds of filament customers can buy? And whether you will charge extra for post-processing as part of your services.
Selling Digital 3D Models
You can sell 3D models online if you have skills in modeling, sculpting, or drawing. This replaces physical products. In contrast to actively making products. This choice is more like a way for a business to make money without doing much. It can work with or without a physical product line.
Digital assets, such as 3D models, can be resold to generate many streams of income from a single product. It is even more efficient if the digital files you are selling are not used assets from a previous project.
If you sell enough of them, you can make more money than with the same 3D model that you print and sell. Digital files tend to sell better than real ones. This is because each extra copy sold doesn’t add to the cost of making the file.
Where To Sell 3D Printing Models Online
Your own website should be the first location you think about selling your 3D models. Great if you already have one of these for your local 3D printer shop. If not, begin your search for a web designer right away.
The usage of third-party platforms is subject to costs. Your chances of making more money from each sale and from 3D printing rise if you have your own online store. The drawback to this is that you have to generate all your own website traffic and audience. The majority of third-party eCommerce platforms send you their audience.
You can sell your 3D models at the following online marketplaces:
Etsy MyMiniFactory CGTrader Cults3D
Start A YouTube Channel
You can create your own YouTube channel using your understanding of 3D printing. Increase your YouTube subscriber base. Upload engaging and educational content related to 3D printing.
You could make money from ads, donations, partner networks, and brand sponsorships. Companies may send you free stuff to try out and see if your audience is big enough.
Most likely, you won’t be able to support yourself on YouTube alone (at least not in the beginning). It can be useful if you expand it as one of many monetization tactics, though. It’s an excellent strategy for attracting visitors to your website or online store. Additionally, it might contribute to the growth of your reputation as an expert in the field.
Start A Blog
You can publish articles on a blog. They can be about 3D printers and educative. Your blog can make money through advertising, affiliate marketing, and paid sponsorships. You have more control over the creative process when you have a blog. Website advertisements make more money than YouTube pre-rolls.
Furthermore, your blog can direct visitors to your website where you sell 3D print items. Your blog’s matter proves that you are an expert in the field of 3D printing. It demonstrates your suitability as a reliable source. This we call brand authority. It makes it easier to convert people to customers when they trust you.
Fix Stuff Around The House
Got a broken thing at home? Fear not, a 3D printer is the ultimate problem solver! Who needs a handyman when you have basic CAD skills and free 3D modeling software? Fix up the replacement parts for your busted appliances and furniture like a boss.
When things go wrong, you usually hit up the manufacturer for a fresh piece. And you might have to kiss that thing goodbye if the manufacturer can’t lend a hand. Why shell out cash for new stuff when you can fix it yourself with a 3D printer? Keep your old gear in tip-top shape and print replacement parts on the cheap. Your wallet will thank you.
Fix 3D Printers For Customers
3D printers are temperamental. Their proper operation requires many parts. Someone new to 3D printing or one who doesn’t know most of those components perform will struggle to fix it.
Repair 3D printers for a fee using your technical knowledge. Most people will pay to outsource it. Someone who will never use your 3D printing services or buy your items will be paying you.
Start Your Own 3D Printing Course
If you’ve worked on 3D printing for any time, you might know a lot about it. Create a course with that information. It could be an online course introducing 3D printing fundamentals to new enthusiasts.
In the beginning, you will have to invest quite some time in it. Because, it will involve a lot of planning, filming, editing, compilation, and marketing. But, you won’t need to do much in the way of upkeep to keep selling the course for years to come.
You can host the course using a website for online education like:
Skillshare Udemy Domestika Teachable
Blogs are a great way to advertise your website. You can host it there if you have one.
Final Words
We hope you have understood how to make money with 3D printing. There are many ways you could do that, as we’ve explained here. You can sell 3D printed products like phone cases, jewelry, or digital 3D models. You can also start a profitable 3D printing business. In this blog, we have provided links to where to sell 3D Printed items and where to start your own 3D printing course. Learn the best ways to make money with 3D printing and start hustling like a pro.