How To Make Money With 3D Printer?

Making huge money with 3D Printers and flip items for money is the trend. You start business and print your own products.

But how to make MONEY with 3D Printer? 

Our experts compiled this GUIDEBOOK after dealing with 3D printers for years. After reading, Potential Customers send you their custom requirements & you print products. You also sell these items online in marketplaces like Etsy and eBay. Most products are custom designed, so you charge a premium price. 

Don’t stop; we have added some Profitable 3D printing IDEAS. Keep reading to learn them and start your business. 

How To Make Money With 3D Printer

How To Make Money With 3D Printer?

You make money with 3D Printing in several ways. You print items with different ideas and sell them. Every item has a separate market share and niche. I tried these side hustle ideas to Make Money With a 3D Printer. 

  1. On-Demand Prototypes

Companies spend a heavy amount of time designing their products. They need initial prototypes to test their products and their features. They can’t use full-blown traditional manufacturing methods to produce a few SAMPLES. Also, these prototypes need changes after initial tests. To fill these gaps, 3D Printers come. 

You produce these sorts of prototypes with a single 3D printer. So you need less initial investment for them. Also, your main CLIENTELE would be startups and new companies in many industries. I also sell these services online with Email marketing. 

It’s easier to hunt these clients through simple outreach. You won’t need an extensive marketing budget for that. You should only worry about the QUALITY and Raw materials. They may have custom material requests, so contact various suppliers. 

  1. Customized Items & Gifts 

Is your friend or loved one has a birthday coming? Or is there any special occasion coming into your life? 

You want to make that time special with any CUSTOMIZED items. This is a huge industry and has a high demand. People approach me on these occasions and share their ideas. I just have to refine those ideas with Designing skills to print objects. This gig doesn’t have any low-profit margins

Spend time learning to design in these sorts of settings too. You don’t need any physical SHOP, just a presence on a few online platforms. Etsy is the best place to sell customized products. 

Do this gig as a side hustle along with your full-time job. Use your extra money to start the Side hustle of 3D printing. Yet the only POTENTIAL RISK is that these are primarily one-time services. People refer you to their friend circle, and you may get new clients. 

  1. Home Decor 
Home Decor

You build your brand in this niche. Home Decor products include Desk accessories, Status, & Organizational items. It’s best to have information about these products otherwise, use a few different ways to get IDEAS. Ask your friends which product they like to have as a home decor item. 

Start designing your products with new ideas. Built just a few EXAMPLES & samples. You use Etsy, eBay, and several websites to sell them. These must be unique, and items should be premium. No one buys them if they are easily available in the market. 

This business has high risks because it depends on your ideas & Marketing. So you start with used printers. Also, get final thoughts on the product from the end customer. Improve their reviews.  

  1. Replacement Parts 

This is a big gig, but you need to be very careful. Some businesses have BROKEN parts, and it takes time to get replacement items. It could be contracting work with those businesses. You print those parts in and sell them to them. 

Be careful with LICENSING LAWS, as people don’t have a copyright license. I don’t use their trademarked content & design but rather do self-publishing. You create designs with your technical know-how as these very technical parts. Sell prints of broken parts to your local businesses. 

How Do You Start A 3D Printer Business?

How Do You Start A 3D Printer Business

The 3D Printer business differs from the conventional manufacturing business. It includes several steps to start your own 3D Printing business. Here are those 4 steps: 

STEP 1: PRINTERS & RAW Materials 

3D printers are your main object, so you must outsource them first. Raw printing material differs in QUALITY & price; first, confirm your material. Better to stick to your client’s requirements while making custom request items. The low-cost 3D printer starts from 300$ to 600$ and goes into the thousands. 

I Saved money to buy a high-end 3D Printer, as it’s a one-time investment. If you are a beginner & looking at this as one of the hustle ideas, then the moderate one works best. Do your extensive research before you spend money on buying these Printers. You won’t have an extensive product line, so start with a single one.

STEP 2: Product Designs 

You have to Design items in CAD Software. If you don’t know how to design, buy an online course. You watch videos on any Youtube channel to learn the basics. Online courses are more defined.  If you are familiar with other SOFTWARE, then use other tools. 

Start designing your products for personal use or practice, like Phone cases. Sell them locally for extra cash. You also get some idea about Customer’s needs. In turn, you can make more informed decisions regarding the types of 3D printing service you offer.

Hustle Idea: If you know about Printing already, make your own Youtube channel to teach. You make PASSIVE INCOME by teaching others. 

STEP 3: Marketing 

Now comes the marketing part. Note down the marketplace websites list. The most famous are Etsy, eBay, and Facebook marketplace. Now, set up your product listing and start adding your products there. 

If you want custom requests, then list the sample & ask for customization along with the order. List your educational models after creating DIGITAL FILES. Alter those files when getting custom requests. 

STEP 4: Printing & Selling

Start printing your items and orders after that. Make sure your customer likes the design and confirms the custom request. Print the sample first if you have to print various items with the same design. 

Then consult with customers and print other ones. I ship products carefully and add their end packaging & cushioning. Take your profit after including all shipping and printing costs.

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FAQs about How To Make Money With 3D Printer

What items can you print with a 3D printer to sell and earn money?

Home decor, Product prototypes, Jewelry, Toys & fashion accessories are easy to print. Yet the most profitable are prototypes, Customized gifts & replacement parts. GETTING a CUSTOMIZED request is always fruitful as you put uniqueness into the item

Is 3d printing profitable? 

Material cost is almost the same, but some may cost more. It depends on which item you want to print. Printing cheap and easily available items is not profitable. You have to spend on marketing too, depending on your management skills. 

How much money can you make from 3d printing?

You print some unique items and pitch them to a few potential CLIENTS. Also, Selling custom items in online marketplaces is profitable. Contact local businesses that continuously need expensive replacement parts. Also, sell unique items in your own online store. 

Can you make money with just one 3D printer?

Yes, a single 3D printer is enough to start, but you need more to scale your business. It would be slower than your big competitors but use your time wisely. TREAT this as your side hustle & make your own designs to attract many customers 

What do you need to start a 3D printing business?

First & foremost, you need a 3D Printer and some design software. Use AutoCAD or any other software which you see as a professional. Work on your design skills and outsource raw MATERIALs like PLA or others. Then your marketing budget & business costs are extra like other normal businesses. 

What’s Next

Making money in 3D printing requires setting up your own business. It requires good quality 3D Printers and nonstop raw material supplies. Sometimes these supplies are expensive in the RUSH SEASON. You lower your final product price with low-price, high-quality Raw materials. 

Where to get 3D PRINTERS & non-stop MATERIAL supplies at a good price? 

Leelinesourcing has an extensive network of raw material suppliers throughout the globe. Contact us to start your 3D printers & their supplies sourcing NOW! 

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Sharline

Article by:

Sharline Shaw

Hey I'm Sharline, the founder of Leeline Sourcing. With 10 years of experience in the field of sourcing in China, we help 2000+ clients import from China,Alibaba,1688 to Amazon FBA or shopify. If you have any questions about sourcing , pls feel free to contact us.