Filament Density & Weight-to-Volume Estimator

Another tool I built because I needed it myself

A pre-slice planning calculator. Type the dimensions of a solid or hollow shape — or the volume straight from your slicer — choose a material, and the tool multiplies volume by density to give you the weight in grams, prints per spool, and a print-time baseline. Hollow prints account for wall thickness and infill, so the number reflects what actually comes off the build plate. Runs entirely in your browser — no uploads, no accounts, no cookies.

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Features

12 material densities plus custom density
Box, cylinder, sphere, and tube shapes
Hollow shell math with wall thickness and infill
Direct volume input in cm³ or mL
Prints per spool and cost estimate
Print time baseline by quality preset

Calculator

Input:

Density: 1.24 g/cm³

Baseline only — your slicer's estimate is the final word.

Optional — Your Spool

A mid-range 1kg PLA roll runs about $19.99

Also works for what's left on a partial spool

Model Volume

125.0

cm³

Material Volume

33.3

cm³

Weight

41.3

grams

Print Time Baseline

4h 27m

rough estimate

Prints per Spool

24

from a full spool at this weight

Cost of This Print

$0.83

filament only

The math

125.0 cm³ outer · 33.3 cm³ material × 1.24 g/cm³ = 41.3 g

Disclaimer: This is an estimate

Densities are typical published values — brand-to-brand variation is about ±2%, and colour dyes make no practical difference. Hollow math assumes a uniform wall and even infill, so it will not match a print with heavy supports, a purge tower, or a brim. The print-time baseline is a planning figure, not a slicer estimate. This calculator has no legal or contractual value.

Back to all calculators
Direct answer

How to get grams from volume

Weight = Volume × Density. A 10 cm³ solid model printed in PLA at 1.24 g/cm³ weighs 10 × 1.24 = 12.4 g. The same volume in ABS at 1.04 g/cm³ comes to 10.4 g — 16% lighter, same shape. For a hollow FDM print, subtract the interior behind your wall thickness and only count the infill percentage of what's left. That is the whole trick, and the calculator above does every step of it live.

Got your grams? Feed them into the Filament Cost Calculator to turn the weight into money.

Material Density Reference

MaterialDensityTypical use
PLA1.24 g/cm³The default for miniatures — cheap, stiff, crisp detail
PETG1.27 g/cm³Tough and slightly heavier than PLA — terrain and functional parts
ABS1.04 g/cm³Lightest common filament — needs an enclosure
ASA1.07 g/cm³UV-stable ABS alternative for outdoor prints
TPU1.21 g/cm³Flexible rubber-like material — banners, tracks, tires
Nylon (PA12)1.14 g/cm³Strong and slightly hygroscopic — engineering parts
Polycarbonate (PC)1.2 g/cm³High-heat engineering filament
PLA-CF1.27 g/cm³Carbon-fiber filled PLA — fillers push the density up
Resin — Standard1.1 g/cm³General purpose photopolymer — usually printed solid
Resin — Tough1.12 g/cm³Higher impact resistance for functional resin parts
Resin — ABS-Like1.15 g/cm³The most common upgrade resin for miniatures
Resin — Flexible1.1 g/cm³Rubber-like photopolymer for tires and gaskets

These are the exact presets loaded into the calculator. Density is mass per unit volume — multiply it by your model's cm³ and you have the weight before the first layer is laid down.

Print Time Baseline Presets

PresetLayer HeightRate
Draft0.28 mm5 min per cm³
Normal0.20 mm8 min per cm³
Fine0.12 mm12 min per cm³

Time = material volume × the rate for your preset. Treat it as a planning baseline: supports, infill pattern, wall count, and speed profiles all move the real number, so always confirm in your slicer.

How to estimate a print before slicing

  1. 1

    Enter dimensions — or paste the volume

    Measure the model or read the bounding box, pick box, cylinder, sphere, or tube, and type the numbers. If your slicer already reports the model volume in cm³, switch to Direct volume and paste it in.

  2. 2

    Match the material and shell settings

    Pick your filament so the density is right, then set Solid for resin-style solid prints or Hollow with the wall thickness and infill percentage your slicer profile uses. The weight updates as you type.

  3. 3

    Check the grams against your spool

    The tool tells you how many such prints a full spool delivers and what this one costs. If the number is close to what's left on your roll, drop to a lower infill — or head to the Filament Cost Calculator for the full picture with electricity.

Filament Density FAQ

How do you calculate filament weight from volume?

Weight = Volume × Density. A 10 cm³ solid model printed in PLA at 1.24 g/cm³ weighs 10 × 1.24 = 12.4 g. Enter your dimensions or volume, pick the material, and the calculator does that multiplication for you — including the hollow shell and infill math for FDM.

What is the density of PLA, PETG, ABS, and resin?

PLA is 1.24 g/cm³, PETG 1.27, ABS 1.04, ASA 1.07, TPU 1.21, and Nylon about 1.14. Standard resin sits near 1.10 g/cm³, ABS-like resin around 1.15. Denser material means a heavier print at the same volume — a solid ABS part is about 16% lighter than the same part in PLA.

Why does hollow + infill cut the weight so much?

Most FDM prints are shells, not solids. The calculator takes the outer volume, subtracts the interior behind your wall thickness, then fills only a percentage of what is left. A 50mm cube printed with a 1.2mm wall at 15% infill uses a small fraction of the filament the same cube would take fully solid.

Will this tell me if I have enough filament left on the spool?

Yes. Enter your spool price and weight and the tool reports how many prints of that size a full 1kg spool delivers, plus the cost of this one. For the full cost breakdown with electricity, hand the grams over to the Filament Cost Calculator.

How accurate is the print time estimate?

It is a baseline, not a slicer replacement. Time = material volume × a minutes-per-cm³ constant for the Draft, Normal, or Fine preset. Real times move with layer height, wall count, infill pattern, supports, and speed profiles, so treat the number as a planning figure and take the slicer's estimate as the final word.

Does colour or additives change the density?

Colour dyes make no practical difference — pigments are a tiny fraction of the mix, so two colours of the same PLA weigh the same. Fillers do matter: carbon-fiber and glass-filled blends such as PLA-CF run slightly denser than the base polymer, which is why they are listed separately.