What is the general cost of 3D printing?

[Mila]

A friend of mine loves making 3D print concepts but does not own a printer. He would like to get into printing things and selling them but he is not sure about the cost. I heard the supplies can be rather expensive. Does anyone know the general cost for 3D printing? 

[James]

It is all going to depend on what your friends model is he is looking to build and the type of materials that are being used. The more complex the design and the higher end the material will of course lead to higher cost. A design may cost as little as $3 to print but something more complex with higher end materials can run you in the $x,xxx figure. 

[Justin89]

That's an answer I wish I could give. To my knowledge, it depends first on the 3D printer you're using, the type of plastic you are using and so on. Some 3D printers suck, while others do great pieces of work. 

If you want the best outcome, a better 3D printer would be recommended. But you can get cheaper 3D printers, but the jobs they do are pretty lacking. 

[Scarlett]

I think the cheaper the print, the more expensive the cost for supplies. Just like with paper printers. It is best to spend more up front on a quality printer and buy supplies in bulk online.