Why is 3D printing so expensive?

Shapeways – Shapeways mostly uses Slective Laser Sintering (SLS) printers, so the quality is generally pretty good. One thing to keep in mind is that most design you find on Thingiverse are NOT designed to be printed on a SLS printer – those designed are designed to be printed on cheap, consumer, FDM 3D printers. read more

3d printing is expensive because of the materials and facilities use to print your 3d model. People are mainly paying for designs/ R&D. All 3D Printing companies have done a lot of research, and some do have custom parts manufactured purely for their printers. SLS, DMLS and some other technologies use lasers which make the process expensive. read more

3D printing has great potential but high prices - in part due to high equipment prices - limit the development of new applications. read more

Resins, though higher detail, are really messy and expensive; powder-based printers are really messy, and sometimes explosive (never make the 3D printed gun on a powder-based printer); others operate at high temperatures or produce masses of waste. read more