Free 3D Printing?!

That's right! When your project goes beyond the bounds of our in-house tech, StudioLab will find a way to get the job done. We'll consult you on the details of your project and then track down an online vendor to produce your print.

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Eligibility

  • Currently enrolled Princeton students
  • Personal, class, senior thesis, or independent work projects only 
  • One request at a time
     

Restrictions

All attempts will be made to honor international requests, but shipping may not always be possible. Additionally, we can't support courses that wish to use our service as part of an assignment.
 

Technical Specifications

Size: Your print should be under 30 cubic inches, or about the size of a softball. We accept multi-part submissions if they cumulatively fit within this size limit. 

Materials: Standard materials are PLA and ABS plastics. We offer a wide range of colors for you to choose from.

Supports: If you are familiar with support scaffolding, freestanding parts are preferred.  
 

Lead Time

We process requests every Thursday. For the fastest printing and shipping times, request  a standard material and color. Generally, deliveries can take up to three weeks. Some especially complex prints may take longer than normal to ship.
 

Share Your Print with Our Online Community

Once you've received the finished print in the mail, we encourage you to take a photo and share it on MakeNet, Princeton's online maker community. If you take a particularly nice photo, we may ask you if we can use it on our website to promote our 3D Print-by-Mail service. 

Join Princeton MakeNet

 

New to 3D Printing?

No problem. We'll print files even if you haven't designed them yourself. Head over to Thingiverse and browse their collection of free 3D models.

If you want to learn 3D modeling, we recommend the following free programs and trainings:

  • SketchUp: Good for your first experience thinking in 3D
  • OnShape: When you want to start precisely sizing and dimensioning your creation
     

Questions

We're happy to answer any questions you have about 3D printing or our Print-by-Mail service. Send us an email at [email protected] and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

 

Request Form

Your Information

Your Address

Your Print

Multi-part submissions must be uploaded as individual STL files (not a batch STL file). Desired quantities can be indicated in the "Project Description" above. If your file is larger than 10 MB or uses another format (OBJ, etc.), then email [email protected] with the subject line "3D Print-by-Mail" to coordinate a file transfer method.
 
Maximum 5 files.
10 MB limit.
Allowed types: stl.
90 MB limit per form.