Pricing and Discounts

When people come to me, one of the first things they ask is, “How much is it going to cost?”
It’s a fair question. Nobody likes surprises when it comes to money, and I’d rather explain things upfront than leave you guessing. So, let me break down exactly how we work out our prices, where discounts come in, and why we do things the way we do.

No Minimum Order – We’ll Take on Any Job

At Mitchell and Son 3D Printing, we don’t believe in setting a minimum order value. Why? Because not every job is a bulk order.

• Some customers need just one perfect print — maybe it’s a clip for a vintage train, a prototype part, or even something personal like a replacement hinge for a cupboard.
• Others might need 100 parts in one go for testing or production.

Both jobs matter. Both get the same level of attention.

Real Example: Restoring a Vintage Train

One customer came to me with a problem. He was restoring an old train, and the little plastic clips on top of the levers had broken. These weren’t parts you could buy online — they’d stopped being made decades ago.

He handed me a sample, I modelled it up in CAD, and then printed it in ABS plastic. Problem solved.

If I’d said, “Sorry mate, minimum order is £500,” he would’ve walked away stuck. Instead, for a couple of hundred quid, he got exactly what he needed and carried on with his project.

That’s why we don’t set minimums. Every job has value.

One-Off CAD Design Fee

Now, there is one charge we do have to put in place: the CAD design fee.

• If you’ve already got a 3D model, great — we can print straight away.
• If you don’t, and I need to design it for you, there’s a £150 one-off fee.

Why the charge? Creating a digital 3D model isn’t just drawing a picture. It involves:

• Careful measuring of the part
• Rebuilding it in CAD software
• Testing and refining the design

Here’s the good news:
✅ You only ever pay that fee once.
✅ Once we’ve got your file on record, we’ll never charge for it again.

So whether you come back in six months or five years, we’ll pull the model from our system and print as many as you like.

Compare that to injection moulding, where just the tooling alone can cost £5,000–£10,000 before you’ve even seen a single part.

Our method saves customers thousands.

How We Work Out Print Prices

The price of your print depends mainly on two things:

1. The size of the part
2. The infill percentage

1. Size of the Part

This one’s obvious: bigger parts use more material and take longer to print. A small bracket might take a couple of hours. A large prototype could take days. Time, material, and electricity all add up.

2. Infill Percentage

This is where people often get surprised. The outside of a 3D-printed part might look the same, but inside, it could be:

• 20% infill: mostly hollow with a honeycomb structure. Lightweight, cheap, but not as strong.
• 50% infill: much denser, stronger, and more durable.
• 100% infill: completely solid — maximum strength but also maximum cost.

Here’s a simple comparison:

• A cube measuring 100 x 100 x 100mm at 20% infill → £20
• The same cube at 50% infill → £40

Same shape, different strength, different price.

Why We Ask Questions

When you bring a job to us, we’ll always ask questions like:

• What’s the part going to be used for?
• Is it decorative or functional?
• Will it be indoors or outdoors?
• Does it need to withstand pressure, heat, or constant movement?

We’re not being nosy — these details matter. If it’s just a model for the shelf, we can keep costs down with lighter infill. If it’s going in a car engine bay, we’ll recommend a tougher material and denser fill.

That way, you’re not paying for more than you need, but you’re also not left with a part that fails the first time you use it.

Discounts for Repeat Orders

Many of our customers come back with repeat orders. Maybe you’re:

• Prototyping a product and need batches printed as designs evolve
• A small business selling your own creations
• A hobbyist restoring machinery over time

In those cases, we always look at discounts.

Why? Because once we’ve done the first job, we’ve already got the model and the print settings dialled in. It saves us time, and we can run the machines more efficiently — so we pass those savings on to you.

The more you order, the better the price per unit. Simple as that.

Choosing the Right Material

Not all plastics are the same. The material you choose affects both price and durability.

Here are the main ones we use:

• ABS
• Strong, durable, widely used in engineering
• Matte finish
• Not great in sunlight (UV makes it brittle over time)
• PETG
• Tough like ABS but better outdoors
• Glossy finish
• Great for garden tools, furniture, or anything left in the sun
• PLA
• Cheap and biodegradable
• Perfect for decorative models
• Not the best for high-stress or high-heat applications

When you tell me how you’ll be using your part, I’ll guide you toward the right choice. Sometimes spending a little more upfront on PETG, for example, saves you money in the long run because it’ll last years longer outdoors than ABS.

Extra Finishing Options

Straight off the printer, a part will be fully functional, but you’ll see the fine layer lines. That’s the nature of 3D printing. For some jobs, that’s fine. For others, you might want a smoother, more polished finish.

We offer post-processing options like:

• Sanding
• Priming and painting
• Resin coating (adds strength and a glossy surface)

These extras aren’t always necessary, but if you’re making a display model or a prototype for a customer demo, it’s worth considering.

Why Customers Come Back

Here’s what it boils down to:

• No job too small – from one clip to a hundred parts
• Fair pricing – based on material, size, and strength
• One-off CAD fee only – once it’s paid, it’s done forever
• Discounts for repeat orders – loyalty rewarded
• Material advice – we’ll recommend the best option for your project
• Finishing options – if you want your part polished, we’ll do it



We don’t just run machines; we solve problems. That’s why customers come back to us — whether it’s a train enthusiast who can’t find a part, a business testing a new design, or someone fixing everyday items that would otherwise be thrown away.

Minimum order value

We do not charge a minimum order value. Many of our customers will place repeat orders for the same models

We automatically apply the following discounts based on order value (before postage costs and VAT).