3D Print Scaling Calculator
Here's the catch that surprises everyone: when you scale a model up, its dimensions grow linearly, but its volume — and therefore the filament and print time — grow by the cube of that scale. Double the size and you don't use 2× the plastic, you use 8×. Enter your numbers below to see the real impact before you hit print.
Filament scales almost exactly with volume (the cube). Print time scales roughly with volume but not perfectly — taller prints add layer time, and your slicer is always the final word. Use this for a realistic estimate, then confirm in your slicer.
Why volume scales by the cube
A model has three dimensions. Scale each one by, say, 1.5× and the space inside multiplies by 1.5 × 1.5 × 1.5 = 3.375×. Since solid plastic (and infill) fills that volume, your filament use multiplies by the same amount. It's the same reason a slightly bigger print can take surprisingly much longer. Scaling down works in reverse — half the size is just 1/8 the material.