Your First Quote in 5 Minutes

Let's go from zero to a professional PDF quote in under five minutes. This walkthrough assumes you've already created your account.

Step 1: Add a Printer (30 seconds)

Go to Printers in the sidebar and click Add Printer. Enter your printer name (e.g., "Bambu Lab X1C"), build volume, and the purchase price. Printforge will calculate an hourly rate based on the printer's expected lifetime. You can adjust this rate later.

Step 2: Add a Material (30 seconds)

Go to Materials and click Add Material. Choose the material type (PLA, PETG, ABS, etc.), enter the spool weight and cost, and the density. Printforge calculates the cost per gram automatically.

Step 3: Calculate Costs (1 minute)

Navigate to the Calculator page. You have two options:

• Upload an STL file — Printforge reads the file dimensions and estimates material usage based on the volume
• Upload a G-code file — Printforge reads slicer metadata (filament used, print time, material type) for precise calculations

Select your printer and material from the dropdowns, adjust labour time and overhead if needed, and the cost breakdown updates instantly on the right. No loading spinners — it's all calculated in your browser in real time.

Step 4: Create a Quote (1 minute)

Click the Create Quote button at the bottom of the calculator. This creates a new quote pre-filled with a line item based on your calculation. Add a client (or create a new one on the fly), set your markup percentage, add any notes or terms, and you're done.

Step 5: Export as PDF (30 seconds)

From the quote detail page, click Export PDF. Printforge generates a professional A4 PDF with your business name, logo (if configured), the line item breakdown, GST calculation, and your payment terms. Save it or email it directly to your client.

What's Next?

Now that you've created your first quote, explore these features next:

• Quote templates — Save quote configurations for repeat jobs
• Calculator presets — Save printer + material combos for quick access
• Job tracking — When a quote is accepted, create a job to track production