1. Export in millimetres
We read your file in millimetres. If your part shows up 25 times too small on the upload page, it was drawn in inches: switch the units to in and the size and price update.
2. Use STL, 3MF or OBJ
We can show and price these straight away. STEP files are welcome too, but we can't preview them in the browser, so we check them by hand and email you the price.
3. Keep walls at least 1.2 mm thick
The printer lays down lines about 0.4 mm wide, so a 1.2 mm wall is three lines side by side. Thinner walls print, but they break easily, and details much smaller than 0.4 mm may not show at all.
4. Leave room where parts meet
Plastic spreads a tiny bit when it is printed. As a starting point:
| Fit | Gap on each side |
|---|---|
| Parts that slide into each other | 0.2–0.3 mm |
| Screw holes | about 0.2 mm bigger than the screw |
| Tight press fit | test with a small piece first |
5. Watch the overhangs
Anything that sticks out at more than about 45 degrees needs support underneath, and the surface is a little rougher where the support touched. Often a chamfer or a slope does the same job and prints cleaner.
6. Give it a flat side
Every print starts on a flat plate. A part with a flat side prints steadier and stronger. We turn every part onto its best side for you, but a part with no flat side at all needs more support.
7. Mind the size
Our print area is 250 mm on each side. If your part is bigger, the upload page tells you, and we split it into pieces that fit together or email you first.
8. Pick the material for the job
A great file in the wrong material is still the wrong part. PLA for indoors, PETG for the garage and outdoors, ABS when it gets hot. Our materials guide helps you choose.
Not sure about something? Ask us before you order. We would rather answer a question than print a part twice.