Guide · 2026
How long does 3D printing take? From offer to delivery
How long until I have my 3D printed part?
It comes down to four steps. Getting offers takes 24–48 hours. Printing itself takes minutes to hours: a 28 mm resin miniature takes about 40 minutes on the machine and a 20 cm resin figure about 4 hours, while a small FDM part takes about 20 minutes. Then come washing, curing or cleaning (about 30 minutes per resin job and 15 per FDM job), the maker's queue, and shipping, which depends on the distance. Each offer states its lead time, so you know before you choose. Most people aren't in a hurry: of the 110 registered requests in the Fabrishare network between May and October 2026, 66 were marked «no rush» and only 6 asked for less than three days.
The timeline of a 3D printing job
From posting the project to having the part in your hands:
- 1
Offers: 24–48 hours
Makers who can do the job send their price and lead time. You compare and choose.
- 2
Queue: depends on the maker
Your job goes into the maker's queue. A job with no rush can fill a gap; a rush job means rearranging, and usually costs more.
- 3
Printing: minutes to hours
Set by the height of the part in resin and by the amount of material in FDM (see the table below).
- 4
Finishing: under an hour per job
Washing, curing and removing supports in resin take about 30 minutes per job; cleaning in FDM about 15. Painting, priming or sanding add more, quoted separately.
- 5
Shipping: depends on the distance
Any maker in the network who ships to your address can send an offer, and how long shipping takes depends on where they are. If you need the part by a date, say so in the project; if the maker is nearby, you can arrange a collection.
How long the printing itself takes
Machine time estimated by the Fabrishare calculator for typical parts. In resin, the rule of thumb is about 1.2 minutes per millimetre of height, whatever is on the plate; in FDM, about 3.6 minutes per gram of filament.
| Part | Technology | Machine time |
|---|---|---|
| 28 mm miniature | Resin | about 40 minutes |
| Batch of 10 × 28 mm miniatures | Resin | about 40 minutes |
| 75 mm bust | Resin | about 1.5 hours |
| 20 cm figure | Resin | about 4 hours |
| Small spare part (bracket, clip) | FDM | about 20 minutes |
| Medium case or cover | FDM | about 2 hours |
| Run of 100 small parts | FDM | about 35.5 hours on one printer |
Two things stand out. Ten resin miniatures take the same time as one, because they're printed side by side and resin time depends on height. And a run of 100 FDM parts would keep a single printer busy for more than a day, which is why runs go to print farms that spread them over several machines.
What speeds it up and what slows it down
Faster
- Sending the STL instead of a photo: no modelling needed.
- Ordering parts raw or with supports removed, not painted.
- Several identical small parts in resin: one plate, one print.
Slower
- Modelling the part from photos or a sketch.
- Painting, priming or assembly.
- Large parts printed in pieces, and long FDM runs.
- Rush jobs when the maker's queue is full.
If you need it by a date
Count backwards: 24–48 hours for offers, the lead time in the offer you choose, and a margin for shipping. Ordering with two weeks to spare is cheaper and takes away the risk of cutting it close.
If it's urgent, say so in the project. Some makers can fit a rush job in, usually for a surcharge when the lead time is under three days.
Get offers with lead times
- 1Upload your STL or describe the part, and say when you need it.
- 2Post the project for free.
- 3Get offers within 24–48 hours, each with its price and lead time, and choose.
Questions about 3D printing time
How long does 3D printing take?
Offers arrive within 24–48 hours. Printing takes from minutes to hours (a 28 mm resin miniature about 40 minutes, a 20 cm figure about 4 hours), then finishing and shipping. Each offer states its total lead time.
How long does it take to 3D print a miniature?
About 40 minutes of machine time for a 28 mm resin miniature, and the same for a full plate of them, plus washing, curing and removing supports.
Why does a taller part take longer in resin?
Because a resin printer cures one whole layer at a time across the plate. The number of layers, and so the time, depends on the height: about 1.2 minutes per millimetre.
Can I get a part the same day?
Rarely through a network, because of shipping. If you need it the same day, look for a maker nearby and arrange a collection; say it's urgent in the project.
Does a rush job cost more?
Usually, yes. A job under three days forces the maker to rearrange their queue, and that's charged as a surcharge. Ordering with time to spare is the cheap option.