Buying 3D rendering is unlike buying photography or print. This guide covers what to compare, what to pay and what to insist on in the quote.
What you are actually buying
Three things: a prepared model of your machine, a set of images made from it, and the right to use both. Studios that price only the images tend to charge you again for the model next time.
What to pay
- Single machine render: $500 to $1,500 at studio level. Ours is $1,090, with CAD preparation included.
- Render set for one machine: $1,500 to $4,000. Ours is $2,900 for five views.
- Component or SKU work at volume: $200 to $500 each. Ours from $340.
Marketplace freelancers charge less and vary widely in accuracy, revision behaviour and reliability with large assemblies.
Seven things to insist on in the quote
1. CAD preparation included, and named as a line 2. Output resolutions for print and web, stated 3. The number of revision rounds 4. Ownership of the images and the model on final payment 5. NDA signed before file transfer 6. A delivery date, not a delivery window 7. The price of extra angles and colourways, agreed up front
How to compare studios
Ask each to show a machine assembly, not a consumer product. Ask what they do with a two-gigabyte file. Ask who assesses the CAD. And ask for the price of the second project on the same machine: if it is the same as the first, they are rebuilding it every time.
Common mistakes
- Buying single images repeatedly rather than preparing the model once
- Approving a render at thumbnail size, then finding problems at booth scale
- Leaving branding to the end, when materials are already locked
- Forgetting the languages and formats distributors will need
Rendering deliverables, by use
| Use | What to order | Our price |
|---|---|---|
| Website and catalogue | Render set of 5 views per machine | $2,900 |
| Product range | Range package in one visual standard | From $7,900 |
| Components and spares | Component renders, 10 or more from $340 each | $590 each |
| Options and colours | Extra colour, guarding or configuration | $240 each |
| Engineering detail | Cutaway still or exploded view set | $890 / $1,390 |
Questions buyers ask before signing
- Can we test the studio first? Yes: our $800 pilot project delivers three renders of one component from your CAD in three working days.
- Do we need perfect CAD? No. A STEP export of the right configuration is enough; see how to prepare CAD for rendering.
- What does one render really cost? We break it down in what a 3D machine render costs.
Where to start
Send one CAD file. We open it, tell you what is usable, and send a fixed price and date within a working day. No charge for the assessment.
Send one CAD file for a free assessment.
We open it, tell you what is usable, and return a fixed price and delivery date within one working day. NDA first if you need it.
