How long does 3D printing take?

What decides how long a print takes

A 3D printer builds an object one thin layer at a time, so print time is set by how much material has to be laid down and how finely. Three settings do most of the work.

• Size and volume — a tall headphone stand simply has more layers than a phone hook. Doubling the height roughly doubles the time.
• Layer height — our standard is 0.2 mm. Dropping to 0.12 mm for fine detail, as we do on sculpted busts, adds noticeably more layers and more hours. That is why a detailed bust can be a fourteen-hour print.
• Infill — the internal lattice. Most desk pieces print at 20% infill; parts that carry real weight, like an under-desk laptop holder, go to 40%, which takes longer but holds up under load.

Real print times from our shop

Because every product page lists its print time, we can give you real numbers rather than a vague range. Quick pieces such as desk hooks, ring holders and cable organisers are 2–4 hours. The bulk of the catalogue — headphone stands, PS5 and Xbox controller stands, tablet holders, planters — sits at 5–10 hours. Larger work like dual-controller towers, character busts and wall art runs 11–16 hours, and a handful of the biggest display pieces reach 20–24 hours.

A custom job is estimated the same way. Send us your file and we can tell you the print time before you commit, because the slicing software reports it to the minute.

From order to delivery: the full timeline

Print time is not the same as turnaround. Here is what actually happens once you place an order or approve a quote.

• Quote — for custom work we usually reply with a firm price and turnaround within the hour during working hours. Shop items skip this step; you just check out.
• Queue and printing — your job goes onto the next free machine. Even a ten-hour print normally starts the same day or the next morning.
• Finishing — supports are removed, the piece is cleaned up and, for most shop items, hand-finished before it is packed.
• Standard turnaround — printing plus finishing is 48 hours for standard jobs. Very large or multi-part prints, or anything needing custom modelling, can take longer, and we tell you that when we quote.
• Delivery — in Nairobi, orders go to your nearest Pickup Mtaani agent. Outside Nairobi we ship by parcel service to a point near you. Standard delivery is KSh 300 and free on orders of KSh 3,000 and above.

Need it faster?

If you have a deadline, say so when you message us. Smaller pieces can often be printed and finished the same day when a machine is free, and we can prioritise a job when the schedule allows. Picking up in Nairobi rather than waiting for delivery is the other quick win.

The one thing that cannot be rushed is the print itself — a nine-hour print takes nine hours. What we can control is how quickly it starts, how it is finished and how fast it reaches you.