3D Print Time Estimator
Ballpark how long a print will take from filament weight and printer class. This is a rough guide. Your slicer is always the authoritative source, but sometimes you just want a number before you slice.
How this works
Different printers extrude filament at different rates. A fast CoreXY like the Bambu X1C averages around 30 grams per hour at typical settings. An older Ender 3 at stock speeds is closer to 10 g/hr. Divide your filament weight by throughput and you get a rough hours-to-print estimate.
Why this is rough: throughput depends on layer height, infill, speed profiles, and whether your print has a lot of small detail or long flat walls. Slicers simulate every move and can tell you the actual expected time for a specific file. Use them for precise answers.
Frequently asked
- How accurate is this compared to a slicer?
- Not as accurate. Slicers simulate every move at the actual speeds you've configured, so they're the authoritative source. This calculator gives a rough hours-to-print estimate from weight, useful before you've sliced a file or when you just want to know if a print will finish before bed.
- What does 'throughput' mean?
- Grams of filament your printer extrudes per hour during normal printing. A Bambu X1C averages around 30 g/hr. An Ender 3 at stock settings is closer to 10 g/hr. Klipper-tuned fast builds can push 40+ g/hr.
- Why is my print so much slower than this estimate?
- Throughput varies hugely with print settings. Fine detail at 0.1mm layers with 80% infill can halve the throughput. Sparse gyroid infill with 0.28mm layers speeds it up. Supports add time without adding much filament. Travel moves also cost time. Check your slicer.
- Is this throughput number the same as volumetric flow?
- Close but not identical. Volumetric flow (mm³/s) is what limits your printer at the hotend. Throughput in g/hr already accounts for filament density and typical infill patterns. For most users, g/hr is the more practical number.
- Do multi-color prints take longer?
- Yes, significantly. Bambu AMS color swaps add 30 to 90 seconds each plus purge filament. A print with 50 color swaps adds roughly 30 to 75 minutes on top of the base time this calculator estimates. The dedicated AMS calculator ships in a later update.