Affiliate disclosure
Quick answer
PrintFarmCalc earns commission through the Amazon Associates programme when a reader buys after following a link here. It costs the reader nothing extra, and it does not change which products are recommended.
The short version
PrintFarmCalc takes part in the Amazon Associates programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
What that means in practice
When a link here leads to a retailer and you go on to buy something, a small commission may be paid to this site. The price you pay is exactly the same either way. If you buy nothing, the site earns nothing, and every calculator, table and guide remains free and complete.
What it does not change
Product data on this site, including titles, images and prices, comes from live retailer data rather than being written in by hand, so a product cannot be described as something it is not. Where a page recommends against a purchase, and several do, that recommendation costs this site money and is made anyway. Telling a reader that a stock hotend is fine for PLA, or that a CO2 laser is the wrong buy unless they specifically need clear acrylic, is the whole basis on which the rest of the advice is worth reading.
Research, not evaluation
Recommendations here are built from published manufacturer specifications, material data sheets and owner reports, compared against each other. Nothing on this site is based on in-person evaluation of the equipment, and no page claims otherwise.
Common questions
Does an affiliate link cost me more?
No. The price you pay is identical whether you reach a product through a link here or by searching for it directly. The commission comes out of the retailer margin, not out of your pocket, which is why this model is used so widely for editorial sites.
Does commission influence the recommendations?
The ranking logic is written into the site rather than decided per product. Build lists select by category and price position, roundup tiers are chosen on suitability for a described reader, and several pages recommend not buying an upgrade at all. A commission structure that rewarded pushing the dearest item would be visibly inconsistent with those pages.
What about products you do not link?
Plenty of good equipment is not sold through the retailers used here, and some of it is better than what is listed. Where that matters the page says so in the text rather than pretending the catalog is the whole market.
How do I avoid the affiliate links entirely?
Search for the product name directly at any retailer. Every product on this site is named in full, specifically so the information stands on its own without the link. The calculators, reference tables and safety guidance are complete whether or not anything is ever bought.