Documentation Shopify

Learn how to set up MakeQuote on your Shopify store and start accepting 3D print orders with instant quotes. This guide will have you up and running in about 5 minutes.

Installation

MakeQuote is installed directly from the Shopify App Store. No coding or technical knowledge required.

Quick Setup

Before accepting quotes, you need to configure at least one printer and one material.

Adding Your First Printer

1. From the dashboard, click Print Profiles in the sidebar
2. Click Add Profile
3. Enter your printer details:
   • Name: e.g., "Bambu Lab P1S"
   • Type: FDM/FFF, SLA, DLP, or Laser
   • Price: Set your pricing (e.g., $0.10 per cm³)
   • Price Type: How you charge (per cm³, per gram, per hour, etc.)
   • Startup Price: Flat fee per job (machine warmup, bed prep)
   • Minimum Price: Floor price for small parts
4. Click Save

Adding Materials

1. Go to Materials in the sidebar
2. Click Add Material
3. Configure your material:
   • Name: e.g., "PLA White"
   • Color: Pick from color picker (customers see this)
   • Density: Material density in g/cm³
   • Price: Cost per unit + your markup
   • Price Type: Same options as printers (gram, cm³, fixed, etc.)
4. Click Save

Common material densities:

• PLA: 1.24 g/cm³
• ABS: 1.04 g/cm³
• PETG: 1.27 g/cm³
• Nylon: 1.15 g/cm³
• TPU: 1.21 g/cm³
• Standard Resin: 1.10 g/cm³

Pricing Rules

MakeQuote calculates quotes using this formula:

Total = (Printer Cost + Material Cost + Coating + Post-Processing) × Quantity + Tax

Each component is calculated based on its price type and the model's properties (volume, weight, surface area, etc.). Minimum price ensures profitability on small parts. For a deep dive into pricing strategies, see our complete guide to pricing 3D printing services in 2026.

All Pricing Modes

Both printers and materials support these pricing modes:

• Per cm³ — Price × model volume in cubic centimeters
• Per gram — Price × estimated weight (volume × density × infill factor)
• Per hour — Price × estimated print time in hours
• Per cm² — Price × surface area in square centimeters
• Fixed — Flat price regardless of model size
• Box Volume — Price × bounding box volume (X × Y × Z)
• Per sq ft — Price × sheet area in square feet (laser cutting)
• Per sq in — Price × sheet area in square inches
• Per mm² — Price × area in square millimeters
• Total Path (mm) — Price × cut path length (laser cutting)
• Pierce Count — Price × number of pierce/plunge points
• Percentage — Adds a % markup on top of other costs

Tiered (Volume) Pricing

Use tiered pricing to offer discounts at higher quantities. Format: qty:price;qty:price

1:0.10;50:0.08;200:0.05

This means: $0.10/unit for 1–49, $0.08/unit for 50–199, $0.05/unit for 200+. The "quantity" is the relevant metric (weight in grams, volume in cm³, etc.).

Infill Factor

Material cost is adjusted by infill percentage for FDM printers:

• 20% infill → ~44% of solid volume used (formula: 0.3 + infill% × 0.7)
• 50% infill → ~65% of solid volume used
• 100% infill → full solid volume

SLA/DLP printers always produce solid parts (100% equivalent), regardless of infill setting.

Adding the Widget to Your Store

The quote widget appears on product pages where customers upload their 3D files.

For a step-by-step guide to setting up your Shopify store with MakeQuote, see Selling 3D Prints on Shopify: The Complete Playbook.

Widget Customization

Customize the widget from the Branding page in MakeQuote:

• Logo: Upload your company logo
• Widget Title: Change "Get Instant Quote" to your preferred text
• Primary Color: Match your store's brand color
• Background Color: Light or dark widget background
• Button Text: Customize the "Add to Cart" button
• Unit Display: Choose millimeters or inches as default

Laser Cutting

MakeQuote supports laser cutting quotes from DXF and SVG files. When a customer uploads a 2D file, the system analyzes cut paths, pierce points, and engrave paths.

Laser Printer Setup

1. Create a new print profile with type Laser
2. Set pricing — recommended:
   • Price: Per total_path (mm) → e.g., $0.02/mm
   • Price 1: Per pierce_count → e.g., $0.50/pierce
3. Configure laser speeds:
   • Cut Speed: mm/s (typical: 10–50 mm/s)
   • Travel Speed: mm/s (typical: 50–100 mm/s)
   • Pierce Time: seconds per pierce (typical: 0.5–2s)
4. Set materials with area-based pricing (sq ft, sq in, or mm²)

For detailed pricing strategies and real-world examples, see DXF & SVG Quoting: Automate Your Laser Cutting Business.

Laser Cutting Example

For a 1 ft × 1 ft acrylic sheet with rectangular cut path:

Cut path:    1219 mm perimeter
Pierce pts:  4 corners
Cutting:     1219mm × $0.02/mm    = $24.38
Piercing:    4 × $0.50            = $2.00
Startup:                          + $1.00
Material:    ~1 sq ft × $2.50/ft² = $2.50
                                   -------
Total:                              ≈ $29.88

SLA / DLP Printers

Resin printers (SLA and DLP) use a different time estimation model based on layer exposure:

• Layer Height: Typically 0.05mm (SLA) or 0.035mm (DLP)
• Bottom Layers: First layers with longer exposure (bonding to build plate)
• Normal Exposure: Time per layer for the rest of the print
• Lift Time: Time for platform to lift and retract between layers

SLA/DLP prints are always solid — infill percentage is ignored, and the full volume is used for material cost calculations.

Post-Processing & Coatings

Add optional finishing services that customers can select during quoting:

• Coatings: Surface finishes (glossy, matte, paint) — priced per cm², per gram, fixed, etc.
• Post-Processing: Sanding, vapor smoothing, annealing, heat treatment

Both support the same pricing modes as printers, plus a minimum price setting. Multiple post-processing services can be selected per quote — their costs are summed.

Your First Quote

Test the complete flow:

1. Visit your store's product page (as a customer)
2. Locate the MakeQuote widget
3. Drag & drop any STL file
4. Watch the 3D preview load
5. Select a material color
6. See the instant price
7. Click "Add to Cart"
8. Complete checkout

Order Tracking

All orders with 3D print attachments appear in MakeQuote → Orders.

Each order shows:

• Customer name and order number
• File name and dimensions
• Material and color selected
• Print status (Pending → In Production → Complete → Shipped)

Update the status as you progress through production.

Downloading Customer Files

To download a customer's file:

1. Go to Orders
2. Find the order
3. Click the Download button (📥 icon)
4. The file downloads to your computer

Files are securely stored based on your plan: Free (7 days), Pro (30 days), then automatically deleted.

Billing Plans

• Free ($0/mo): 10 orders/month, 2 printers, 5 materials, 7-day file retention
• Pro ($19/mo): Unlimited orders, printers, materials, 30-day retention, custom branding, slicer integration, priority support

Frequently Asked Questions

What file formats are supported?

3D files: STL, OBJ, 3MF. 2D files: DXF, SVG (for laser cutting). STL is the most common format. You can configure allowed extensions in Settings.

How is print time estimated?

For FDM: based on volume, layer height, and print speed. For SLA/DLP: based on layer count and exposure times. For Laser: based on cut path, pierce count, and travel distance. If a slicer (CuraEngine) is connected, accurate sliced times are used instead.

Can I charge different prices for different quantities?

Yes! Use tiered pricing: 1:0.10;50:0.08;200:0.05. The system automatically picks the correct tier based on the relevant metric (weight, volume, etc.).

How do customers see the widget?

Enable it from your Shopify theme editor → App Embeds → MakeQuote Widget. It appears on all product pages. Customize its look from the Branding page.

What happens to uploaded files?

Files are encrypted and stored securely with plan-based retention: Free (7 days), Pro (30 days), Plus (90 days). Download promptly for archival. A daily cleanup job removes expired files.

Can I combine multiple pricing modes?

Yes. Each printer and material supports up to 3 price fields. Set Price as "per cm³" and Price 1 as "per hour" — both are summed. Add a "percentage" type for markup.

What happens if I uninstall the app?

The widget is removed from your storefront. Data is retained for 30 days in case you reinstall. Files follow your plan's retention schedule.

Does infill affect pricing?

Yes. At 20% infill, ~44% of solid volume is used for weight-based material pricing. At 100%, the full volume is used. SLA/DLP always produces solid parts.

Do I need a slicer connected?

No. MakeQuote has built-in estimation for print time and material usage. Connecting a slicer (CuraEngine) is optional and provides more precise values — available on Pro plans.

How do I contact support?

Email support@makequote.app. Pro plan users get priority response times.