3D Printing for Small Business: How to Start a Profitable Print Farm

## The Print Farm Opportunity A single Bambu Lab P1S can produce 3–5 consumer products per hour. Ten printers running 16 hours/day equals serious revenue. The barrier to entry has never been lower. ## What Sells **High-margin products**: - Custom phone cases ($5–$15 material → $25–60 retail) - Cosplay and prop replicas ($10–50 material → $100–300 retail) - Replacement parts for discontinued products - Custom signage and displays - Architectural models for real estate firms - Medical training models **Services**: - Prototype-on-demand for engineers/designers - Small-run manufacturing for product launches - School and university 3D printing services ## Economics of a Small Farm Starting with 3 Bambu P1S printers: | Item | Cost | |------|------| | 3× Bambu P1S | ~$1,800 | | Filament stock (5 kg/color × 10 colors) | ~$750 | | Workspace, shelving | ~$500 | | **Total startup** | **~$3,050** | At 60% utilization, 3 printers can generate 8–15 kg of finished goods/day depending on product mix. At $20–40/kg retail equivalent, payback in 2–4 months is realistic. ## Platforms to Sell On - **Etsy**: huge maker audience, international shipping - **Amazon Handmade**: premium prices possible - **Local Instagram/Facebook**: zero commission in Jordan - **Direct B2B**: pitch to local architects, hospitals, schools ## Tools for Running a Farm - **Bambu Handy / Cloud Print**: remote monitoring - **OrcaSlicer**: batch slicing, print queue - **Printoid / OctoPrint**: fleet management for non-Bambu - Spreadsheet or simple ERP for order tracking