You don’t need to own a 3D printer to get something 3D printed, and you don’t need a 3D model either. Most of the jobs we get start with a photo of a broken part, a link to a model someone found online, or a rough sketch on the back of an envelope. This guide walks through how it works, what to send, what it costs and how long it takes, plus an honest look at when ordering from an overseas print service makes more sense than going local.
Step 1: work out what you’re starting with
Everything starts in one of four places.
You have a 3D file
STL, 3MF and OBJ files can usually be printed directly. STEP files come from CAD software and are great when the part might need changes. Our post on STL, 3MF and STEP files explains the differences and the common file problems.
You found a model online
Sites like Printables, Thingiverse and MakerWorld have millions of free models, from phone stands to replacement parts for specific appliances. Send us the link and tell us which size or version you want. One thing to check: every model has a licence. Printing one for your own use is almost always fine, but if you want copies to sell, the designer’s licence has to allow it.
You have a broken part
Clear photos from a few angles, ideally next to a ruler, plus some measurements are usually enough. Our guide to 3D printing a replacement part covers what prints well and how to measure it so it fits the first time.
You only have an idea
A sketch, a photo of something similar or a description with measurements is a fine starting point. The part gets modelled first with CAD design, from $75 an hour with a 30-minute minimum, and one revision is included. You get to check the model before anything is printed. We wrote more about how CAD from a sketch or photo works.
Step 2: think about what the part has to do
This decides the material, and it matters more than most people expect. A phone holder that looks perfect on your desk can sag on a car dashboard in January if it’s printed in the wrong plastic. You don’t need to know material names. Just tell us:
- where it will live: indoors, outdoors, in a car, near heat or water
- whether it carries weight or gets knocked about
- whether it should be rigid or flexible
- what colour you’d like, if it matters
If you want to read up first, our post on PETG vs TPU vs PLA and the other materials has examples of where each one works best.
Step 3: ask for a quote
Send your file, link, photos or sketch through the quote form, with the notes from step 2 and how many you need. We usually reply within 24 hours.
Before quoting, we check the file properly: its size, whether the walls are thick enough, which way it should sit on the printer so it’s strong where it needs to be, and anything likely to fail. If a model looks like it will break, warp or not fit, we’ll say so and suggest a fix instead of printing it and hoping. Quotes are valid for 14 days, and quoted work needs a deposit before printing starts.
Small clips, hooks and simple accessories often start from $10 to $30. Desk accessories and larger organisers usually range from $25 to $80. The final price depends on the size, material, print time and how strong the part needs to be, and bulk discounts apply when you need more than one.
Step 4: printing
Your part is printed in our South Morang workshop on a Bambu Lab P1S or A1. Print time depends on size and detail: small flat parts like clips and spacers are quick, while a bigger piece like our Rub-a-dub Dragon takes about 10 hours. If a defect is caused by our print settings or machines, we reprint it.
Step 5: pick up or delivery
- Free pickup from South Morang.
- Local delivery to Mill Park, Epping, Bundoora, Mernda and nearby suburbs, arranged with your quote.
- Free hand delivery in the Melbourne CBD (postcodes 3000, 3004, 3006 and 3008).
- Posted anywhere in Australia for $15 per order, or $25 with larger items.
Don’t need anything custom?
Some things don’t need a quote at all. Our shop has standard prints with fixed prices, like desk organisers, phone stands and hooks, and you can choose the colour on the product page. Each product shows how long it takes to be ready, which is quicker when we have it in stock.
Why not just order it from an overseas print farm?
It’s a fair question. Large overseas print services and marketplaces can be very cheap, and for some jobs they’re the right call. Here’s how we’d think about it.
When overseas makes sense
- You need hundreds or thousands of the same part, the design is already proven, and you can wait a few weeks.
- You need a process we don’t offer, such as resin, metal or powder-bed nylon printing.
- The file is finished, you know exactly which material you want, and the fit doesn’t need checking.
In those cases a big print farm’s scale can beat a local workshop on price, and we’d tell you so.
Why local is usually better for one-offs and small runs
Someone actually looks at your part. Large overseas services are built for volume. Many quote automatically from the file you upload and print it exactly as sent, as one job among thousands in the queue. Nobody asks what the part is for, whether the walls are too thin, or whether it will snap at the clip. If the file has a mistake, you get the mistake, beautifully printed. Locally, every job gets checked by the person who prints it, and you can talk to them.
The material gets chosen for the job. With an overseas order you pick from a dropdown. With us, you tell us it’s for a sunny windowsill or a garden tap and we choose the plastic that will survive there.
Fixing the fit is quick. Replacement parts and custom pieces often need a small adjustment, half a millimetre on a hole or a slightly longer clip. Locally, that’s a quick reprint and a short drive. From overseas, it’s another order and another wait for international shipping.
Small orders aren’t really cheap. The print itself might cost a few dollars, but international shipping, minimum order values and GST can add up to more than the part. Compare the total delivered price, not the headline one.
You can see it before you commit. If an exact colour match matters, we can check it against a real print rather than a photo on a screen. You can collect your part and look at it in person, and if something isn’t right, you’re dealing with a person in Melbourne rather than a support ticket in another time zone.
It’s faster for most small jobs. A simple local job can be ready in days. Overseas orders usually spend longer in transit than they did on the printer.
We’re not trying to compete with a factory on a 5,000-piece order. But for a broken part, a prototype, a gift, or ten of something, a local printer who checks the job usually gets you a better part, sooner, and often for a similar price once shipping is counted.
Ready to get something printed?
Send us your file, link, photo or idea and tell us what it’s for. We’ll check it, suggest a material and come back with a price. We usually reply within 24 hours.