That’s because a 3D printer’s motherboard isn’t made to interpret an STL file or any other file format that stores 3D model data. That’s it! You’ve just created an STL file see how easy that was! Can You 3D Print STL Files?Īs I mentioned before, you can’t actually 3D print an STL file. Then, select the STL format and choose the location on your computer where you want the file to save. To do this, you just need to find and click the “Save As” or “Export” button in your CAD program.

Once you’ve finished your design, it’s time to export your 3D model in the STL format. However, I will say that if you plan on 3D printing the design, you should keep in mind overhangs as well as how detailed the model is, as both of these play a factor in how easily 3D printable a model is. I can’t really instruct you on how to design your 3D model as I don’t know what you want to design, only you do. Once you’ve picked out and downloaded your CAD software, it’s time to design your 3D model. TinkerCAD offers basic 3D modeling tools and supports STL files, as well as a few other formats. Like Onshape, TinkerCAD isn’t a software, but a web-accessible 3D modeling program, and it’s primarily catered towards beginners and those completely new to CAD. Lastly, TinkerCAD is another program by Autodesk. Because millions of people still use and want the STL format, most computer-aided design (CAD) software programs also have continued support for the format. While these formats, like the STEP and OBJ, might offer improved model precision and the ability to store color and other features, the 3D printing community has stuck with the STL format.įurthermore, the STL file format is still the most commonly used format for any software having to do with 3D printing, including 3D slicers, G-code viewers, and more. I won’t bore you with the full history of the format, but it’s worth noting that many other 3D model formats have been developed since the STL’s release in 1987. And unfortunately, no colors, textures, or animations on a 3D model can be stored through the STL format. The STL format stores 3D model data through a surface mesh composed of triangles. For reference, STL stands for Stereolithography, a 3D printing technology, and the extension for this file format is…you guessed it…“stl”. The STL file format is a digital format for storing 3D model data.

How to 3D Print an STL File: Step-By-Step.

How to create stl files for 3d printing