Getting your file ready
Most files print well just as they are. This guide covers what makes the difference: which file to send, getting the size right and the details that print cleanly. It doesn’t all have to be perfect: a person looks over every file before it prints, and we’ll tell you if anything needs changing.
Which file to send
Send an STL, 3MF or OBJ for an instant price on the order page, up to 50 MB.
- 3MF is the best choice if your app offers it. It carries its units, so it always arrives the right size, and it keeps any colours you’ve painted in.
- STL is the one every app can save. It holds the shape only: no colours and no units.
- OBJ works too, for the shape.
- STEP and OpenSCAD files are welcome. We price those by hand and reply with a quote.
Saving it from your app
Most apps have an export option for 3D printing. Here’s where to find it in the common ones:
| App | How to save it |
|---|---|
| Tinkercad | Export, at the top right, then .STL or .OBJ |
| Fusion | Right-click the body, Save As Mesh, then 3MF or STL |
| Onshape | Right-click the part, Export, then STL |
| SketchUp | File, Export, 3D Model, then STL |
| Blender | File, Export, STL (and see the note on size below) |
| FreeCAD | Select the body, File, Export, then an STL mesh |
| Bambu Studio or Orca Slicer | Save the project: it’s a 3MF, with your colours |
| Printables, MakerWorld or Thingiverse | Send the STL or 3MF just as you downloaded it |
Menu names move about between versions, so look nearby if yours are different.
Getting the size right
An STL has no units, so we read it in millimetres, which is what most apps use. If yours was made in centimetres or inches, choose that under “Units in your file” on the order page, and the size and price follow. A 3MF carries its units, so it arrives the right size.
- Check the size under the preview before you add it to your basket. If it’s far too small or far too big, the units are usually why.
- Blender works in metres. If you modelled at real size, the file can arrive 1,000 times too small: export it again with Scale set to 1000.
- We print the size in the file, and the price is worked out from it. To have it bigger or smaller, scale it in your app before you export.
- One piece can be up to 300 × 320 × 320 mm. Bigger than that? Ask for a quote: we can often print it in parts that fit together.
Details that print well
- Walls at least 1.2 mm thick. Thinner walls may not print cleanly, or may snap.
- Small parts at least 2 mm across, such as pins, posts and stalks. Finer ones can break off.
- Raised or sunk detail at least 0.6 mm deep, with lines and lettering at least 1 mm wide, or it may not show.
- Overhangs: anything that leans out more than about 45° needs supports, which we remove after printing. They can leave small marks underneath, so a design without them looks cleanest.
- A flat base helps a print stay put and come out accurate.
- Parts that fit together need a small gap: about 0.2 mm on each side for a snug fit, and 0.4 mm or more for parts that slide or turn. Holes come out a touch smaller than drawn.
You don’t need to think about which way up it prints: we turn every model to print the best way for strength and finish.
Common problems
We can sort most of these out ourselves. If one needs your help, we’ll email you before printing.
- Gaps in the mesh. A model needs to be a closed shape with no holes in its surface. Small gaps usually get repaired when we prepare it; bigger ones need fixing in your app.
- Surfaces with no thickness. A flat plane or a single sheet has nothing to print, which often happens in SketchUp and Blender. Give it thickness first: Push/Pull in SketchUp, or the Solidify modifier in Blender.
- Too big to upload. Detailed scans can be huge. Export with fewer triangles: most apps have a resolution setting, and Blender has the Decimate modifier.
- Overlapping pieces are fine. They print as one solid part.
More than one colour
Colour changes are free, so use as many as you like. There are three ways to tell us which colour goes where:
- Paint them in Bambu Studio or Orca Slicer and send the 3MF. We print the colours as you painted them.
- Make each colour its own part in a 3MF, and say in the notes which part is which.
- Just tell us in the notes, such as “the base in black, the letters in white”.
The colour you choose on the order page is the main one. Every colour we print is in the materials guide.
Logos, pictures and lettering
If they aren’t in your model already, add them on the order page with “Add a logo or image” or “Add lettering”, and say where each one goes. For a logo, a vector file (SVG, PDF, AI or EPS) gives the crispest edges. For a picture, the bigger the better.
Models from the internet
Models from sites like Printables, MakerWorld and Thingiverse usually print well. Each one has a licence saying how it can be used, and when you order, you confirm it allows the print. Many free models are for printing at home only, and their licence doesn’t let a print service like us print them for you: look for one that allows commercial use or printing for others. The model’s page normally says, and if you’re not sure, ask its designer.
What we check before printing
A person looks at every file before it goes on the printer. We check the size matches your order, the walls are thick enough, where supports are needed, and that it fits the printer. If something won’t print well, we email you before starting, with a fix, another material or a full refund.
Ready? Upload your file for an instant price.