About

LayerCalc is a collection of free calculators for people who 3D print — hobbyists dialling in a printer, and small sellers who need to know what a print really costs.

Why it exists

Most of the math in 3D printing is simple, but it's scattered: an e-steps formula in a forum post, a shrinkage calculator on one blog, a pricing spreadsheet on another, a G-code test tower that needs a slicer plugin. Each tool here started as a question that took three sites to answer. The aim is to put them in one place, make them give the exact value to type into your firmware or slicer, and show the working so you can check it.

How the tools are built

• Everything runs in your browser. There's no server doing the math and nothing you type is sent anywhere. Your inputs are remembered on your own device so the form is filled in when you come back.
• Every page shows its formula and a worked example with real numbers. If a result looks wrong, you can see why.
• Estimates are labelled as estimates. Spool tare weights, hotend flow limits, printer power draw and pre-slice print times are typical figures, not measurements of your equipment. Each page says how to replace them with your own.
• No accounts, no email gates, no limits. The site is free; if it ever carries advertising, the privacy page will say so the day it starts.

Accuracy and corrections

Formulas and reference values are checked against manufacturer documentation and the established community calibration guides, and the calculators are tested against hand-worked examples. Printers, filaments and marketplace fee schedules change, though, and mistakes are possible. If you find one, please say so — corrections are made quickly and the page's "last reviewed" date is updated.

Suggest a calculator

If there's a calculation you keep doing by hand, or a tool you can only find behind a paywall, tell us. The list on the home page grows from exactly those requests.