An independent guide
3D printing services, explained plainly
You don't need to own a 3D printer to get a part printed. Online 3D printing services make it from your file and ship it to you. This guide explains how they work, what to choose, and how the best-known services differ, using only facts you can check yourself.
How an online 3D printing service works
The steps are much the same everywhere. What differs is which processes and materials a service offers, how it prices, and where the part is made.
- 1
Upload a 3D model
You upload a file, usually STL, 3MF or STEP, to the service’s website. Many services check it automatically for problems such as holes in the mesh or walls that are too thin.
- 2
Choose a process and a material
You pick how the part is made (for example FDM, SLA, SLS or metal printing) and what it is made of. The choice decides strength, detail, finish and most of the price.
- 3
Get a quote
Most services price standard parts instantly from the model’s volume, size and the options you chose. Unusual materials, large orders or tight tolerances may go to a person for a manual quote.
- 4
Production and shipping
The part is printed, cleaned up, finished if you asked for it, and shipped. Lead time depends on the process, the finishing, the queue and how far the part has to travel.
Marketplace or print bureau?
Online services come in two kinds, and it changes who actually makes your part.
Print bureau (own production)
The company prints the part on its own machines. You deal with one business from quote to delivery. In our comparison: Sculpteo, JLC3DP, PCBWay, Shapeways.
Marketplace
The platform shows quotes from independent manufacturers and you pick one, which lets you compare price, location and lead time in one place. Quality depends on the manufacturer you choose. In our comparison: Treatstock and Craftcloud.
Before you order
Comparison
3D printing services compared
Treatstock, Sculpteo, JLC3DP, PCBWay, Craftcloud, Shapeways: materials, processes, quoting and location, with sources.
Guide
How to choose a material
A plain-English guide to the materials online 3D printing services offer, what each one is good at, and which process it needs.
Guide
FDM vs SLA vs SLS
How the three most common 3D printing processes work, how their parts differ in detail, strength and finish, and when to pick each one.
Guide
Preparing an STL file
A checklist for getting a model ready to upload: units, watertight meshes, wall thickness, holes, clearances and file formats.
Guide
How pricing works
What drives the price of a 3D printed part at an online service, from material volume and machine time to finishing, quantity and shipping, and how to lower it.