--- title: "PrintDFM — know if it'll print, in what, and for how much" url: https://partimation.com/additive/3d-printing/ description: "PrintDFM is the plain-language way into Partimation's 3D-printing checks. Upload a model and see whether it prints clean on FDM, SLS/MJF, or SLM, what it'll cost, and how that stacks up against machining or casting. Start free." product: "PrintDFM" domain: printdfm.com --- # Know if it'll print, in what, and for how much — before you commit to it. *Polymer · powder · metal · plain-language 3D printing* PrintDFM is the plain-language way into Partimation's 3D-printing checks — no orientation glossary required. Upload a model and see whether it prints clean on FDM, SLS/MJF, or SLM, what it'll cost, and how that price stacks up against machining or casting the same part on the same should-cost engine. - **No glossary needed** — plain-language findings, not orientation jargon - **3 processes today** — FDM polymer, SLS/MJF polymer powder, SLM metal - **Real price, not a guess** — should-cost on the same engine as the rest of Partimation - **Compare before you commit** — print vs. machine vs. cast, on one number Free to start · no credit card · your files stay yours. ## 3D printing shouldn't require a glossary before you get a price. - **Too much jargon, not enough answer** — FDM, SLS, SLM, supports, build orientation — most people just want to know if a part will print cleanly and what it'll cost, not a crash course in additive process names first. - **A quote doesn't tell you if it's a good one** — A print price with no breakdown gives you nothing to check it against — you can't tell if the material, the supports, or the machine time is what's driving the number. - **Print vs. machine is a coin flip** — Nobody hands you a side-by-side number for printing a part versus having it machined or cast — so the choice usually comes down to whichever process someone already knows. ## The same checks AdditiveDFM runs, explained in plain terms. - **No jargon required — Upload a model, get a plain answer** — Drop in a part and see whether it prints clean, in plain language — the supports and layer-stepping findings behind the answer are there if you want them, never required reading to get started. - **Three processes, covered today — FDM, SLS/MJF, and SLM — screened automatically** — The tool picks the printing processes that make sense for the material — polymer filament or polymer powder for plastics, metal powder-bed for metals — and screens the part against each one. - **A price you can check — Should-cost, not a black-box number** — The price comes off the same should-cost engine behind every Partimation quote — material, machine time, and support removal broken out, so you can see what's actually driving the cost. - **Compare before you commit — Print vs. machine vs. cast, on one number** — Because the cost engine is shared across the whole suite, a 3D-printed part prices out next to a machined or cast version of the same part — a real comparison, not a guess. ## Four steps from a model to a plain-language answer. 1. **Drop the model** — Upload a 3D model — STL, STEP, or 3MF. No account setup, no material picker to get wrong. 2. **See what it takes to print it** — The tool checks it against FDM, SLS/MJF, or SLM (whichever fits the material) and reports support volume and layer-stepping in plain language. 3. **Check metal for distortion** — For metal parts, a thermal-distortion trend runs before you'd ever start a build. 4. **See the price, and the alternative** — Get a should-cost for printing it, and — because it's the same engine — for machining or casting the same part. ## Start free. Upgrade when it's saving you a bad print. Priced the same as the rest of the suite. Checking a part is unmetered — run as many as you like. | Tier | Price (EUR / USD / GBP) | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Free | €0 / $0 / £0 | 10 parts a month; Printability screen; Advisory analysis, draft resolution; No credit card | | Pro | €199 /seat · mo / $199 /seat · mo / £169 /seat · mo | Unlimited parts, full resolution; SLM distortion prediction; Should-cost, reports, exports; 30 simulation runs a month | | Shop | €699 /mo · 5 seats / $699 /mo · 5 seats / £595 /mo · 5 seats | Everything in Pro; Your machine & material library; Quote calibration + API access; 150 pooled simulation runs a month | | On-prem | €15k yr 1, then €10k renewal / $15k yr 1, then $10k renewal / £12.5k yr 1, then £8.5k renewal | Runs on your hardware; Unlimited simulation, no metering; Signed updates, never phones home; 10 seats · optional device lock | | Enterprise | from €25k / from $25k / from £21k /yr | Multi-site licensing, custom material data, a model tuned on your own build history, and an SLA. | EUR and GBP prices exclude VAT, added at checkout where it applies. Early adopters keep their price as the suite grows. ## In the cloud by default. Behind your firewall when it has to be. - **Cloud — Nothing to install** — Sign in and check a part from any browser. We run the compute, ship the updates, and keep your data yours. - **On-prem & air-gapped — For parts that can't leave the building** — Aerospace and anyone under NDA can run the whole thing on their own hardware. Licenses and updates are signed files — it never phones home, so an air-gapped install stays air-gapped. ## AdditiveDFM is the full workflow. PrintDFM runs the same checks AdditiveDFM does. When you're ready for the full picture — orientation trade-offs side by side, SLM distortion prediction, and should-cost built for service bureaus and OEM engineering teams — AdditiveDFM is that same tool, unfiltered. **PrintDFM → AdditiveDFM — Everything here, plus the full workflow** — What AdditiveDFM adds for bureaus and OEM teams: - Orientation trade-off table - SLM distortion prediction - Full DFM findings - API + shop calibration ## Frequently asked questions #### Which 3D printing processes does it cover? Three processes are covered today: FDM polymer filament, SLS/MJF polymer powder, and SLM metal powder-bed. The process follows from the material on the part rather than from a picker you have to get right before uploading. A plastic part screens against FDM and SLS/MJF; a metal part goes to SLM. #### What actually drives the price of a printed part? Material, machine time, and support removal come out broken apart rather than bundled into one figure. Each line names the rate or the rule that produced it, so a print quote is something you check rather than something you accept. Support removal is priced off the support volume the readiness screen computed, not a flat percentage. #### Is it cheaper to print this part or have it machined? Printing, machining, and casting the same part price through one engine, so the three numbers sit next to each other on the same basis. Every line in all three traces to a named rate or rule, and the should-cost curve returns the exact quantity where one process overtakes another. A should-cost against a should-cost, not a print quote against a machining habit. #### Do I need to know anything about 3D printing to get a useful answer? Upload a model — STL, STEP, or 3MF — and the findings come back in plain terms: whether it prints clean, what supports it needs, and what it costs. Process names and orientation detail sit underneath if you want them, and are never required reading first. A question ends with an answer and a price, not a reading list. ## Related pages - [AdditiveDFM](https://partimation.com/additive/) - [ProcessDFM](https://partimation.com/process-selection/) - [CostDFM](https://partimation.com/costing/) - [SimDFM](https://partimation.com/simulation/) ## Upload the part you're not sure about. Check a real part free in your browser — no glossary, no account, just an answer and a price. ## Tell us what you're printing. We reply within one business day. > PrintDFM is decision support, not a guarantee — every finding and every price traces back to a named check or rule in the same engine AdditiveDFM uses. Validate against your own machine and material data before you commit a build.