Where to Get Something 3D Printed When You Have No File
· 2 min read
Searching for where to get something 3D printed turns up a wall of upload buttons. Every one of them assumes you have a file. If you have a broken part in your hand instead, most of those options do not apply, and this guide is about which ones do.
The four kinds of 3D printing service
| Option | You need | Good for | Not good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online marketplaces and quoting engines | A clean STL or STEP file | Fast algorithmic pricing on a finished design | Anything without a file. No one checks the design. |
| Local print shops and libraries | A file, sometimes help finding one online | Cheap, fast, hobby prints in PLA | Engineering materials, fit critical parts, anything that must be modeled |
| Engineering firms | A budget and a project | Complex products, full design work | One broken knob |
| Scan to print services | The physical part, or a sketch | Replacement parts, reverse engineering, prototypes from an idea | Metal parts, very high volume |
If you have a file
You have the most options. A marketplace will quote it instantly. A local shop will print it. A scan to print service like ours will have a person check the file for problems and pick a material for the job, which is the difference between a print and a part that works. Upload it and compare quotes.
If you have a part and no file
Your options narrow to two. Pay someone to model the part from measurements, which works for simple shapes and fails on anything curved or complex. Or send the part to a service that scans it. Scanning captures the real geometry, including the curves and features nobody would measure by hand, and the result is a model that fits because it came from the object.
If you have an idea and nothing else
You need modeling before printing. Some marketplaces have designer networks. Freelance CAD designers exist. A scan to print service that also models will take a sketch and a description, model the part, and print it, which keeps the model accountable to the physical result because the same people do both.
Questions to ask any service
- Will a person look at my part or file before it prints?
- What materials do you print, and which one do you recommend for this part and why?
- Do I get a price and a ship date before any work starts?
- Can I have the file afterward?
- Will you tell me if printing is the wrong answer?
Vekform answers yes to all five. We are based in Atlanta, we pick up across the metro, and the mail-in service works the same from anywhere in the country.