No 3D model? How to order a print from a photo and a few measurements
Most people who need a part have never opened a 3D program, and they do not have to. Here is what to photograph, what to measure, where free models hide, and what happens after you press send.
The quote form says "upload an STL, 3MF or OBJ file", and right there a lot of people close the tab, because they have a broken drawer clip in one hand and no idea what an STL is. Good news: the file is optional. A clear photo and three or four measurements are enough for us to tell you whether the part can be printed, what it will cost and how long it will take. This is how to send them so the first answer is a real quote and not a list of questions.
Step one: photograph it properly
Phone photos are fine. What matters is that we can see the shape from every side and judge its size.
- Shoot from at least three angles: the front, the side and the back or bottom. Hidden faces are where the surprises live.
- Put something of known size next to it: a ruler, a tape measure, a coin. A photo with no scale can be a 2 cm part or a 20 cm part.
- If it is broken, photograph the broken edges too, and if you still have the pieces, hold them together for one shot.
- Show where it goes. A photo of the empty slot the part clips into is often more useful than a photo of the part.
Step two: measure what matters
You do not need to measure everything, and a cheap digital caliper from a hardware store makes it easy, but a ruler works. Write the numbers in millimetres and tell us which is which.
- Overall length, width and height.
- Anything that has to fit something else: the diameter of a hole, the width of a slot, the distance between two screw holes, the thickness of the panel it clips onto.
- Wall thickness, if the part is a shell or a cover.
- For round parts, the diameter and the height. For a knob, also the shape and size of the shaft it sits on (round, D-shaped, splined) and how deep it goes.
Step three: tell us what it is for
This is the part people skip, and it changes the answer most. "It's a clip" and "it's the clip that holds the fridge shelf, it broke twice already" lead to different prints: the second gets PETG, thicker walls and a slightly rounded corner where the old one cracked. Tell us what the part attaches to, what it has to hold, whether it gets warm, wet or stepped on, and how many you need. Our materials guide explains what those answers change.
Or hand us the old part
If you can pick up in person, bring the broken original. Holding the part beats any photo: we measure it ourselves, see how it failed and spot the details a picture flattens. You get it back with the print. This is the easiest route for replacement parts in particular.
Check whether someone already drew it
Millions of models are shared free online, and common parts, from camera caps and blind brackets to phone stands and board game inserts, are often already there. Search the name of the thing plus the brand or model number on Printables, MakerWorld or Thingiverse. If you find a match, send us the link or the downloaded file; we check the licence allows printing for you, and the quote comes back faster because nobody has to model anything.
What happens after you press send
- We look at the photos and measurements, on the same working day. If something crucial is missing, we ask one round of questions, not ten.
- For a simple shape (a clip, a bracket, a spacer, a knob, a cover) we draw the model ourselves. The quote tells you the material, the print time and the full price for the finished part, so there are no surprises.
- For a complex shape, a curved housing or a part with many features, we say so honestly, tell you what it would take, and sometimes suggest a simpler design that does the same job.
- You get the quote by email or phone. Nothing is printed until you say yes.
- When you confirm, we print, check the fit against your measurements, and tell you when it is ready for pickup or hand it to the courier (€2.50, free over 1 kg).
One thing we cannot do is model a person's face or a detailed sculpture from a photograph. For organic shapes like that you need a 3D artist or a 3D scan first, and then we print the file. For anything made of flat faces, cylinders, holes and slots, which is nearly every household part, a photo is enough.
A quick checklist before you send
- Photos from three sides, one with a ruler or coin for scale.
- Overall size and the fit dimensions, in millimetres.
- What it attaches to and what it has to survive.
- How many you need and when you need them.
- Your email or phone, so the quote can reach you.
Have the photos? Drop them in the quote form with your notes and we take it from there.
Send a photoCommon questions
- Can you 3D print something from just a picture?
- Yes, for most everyday parts. From a clear photo with something for scale, plus the key measurements in millimetres, we draw the model ourselves and send a quote for the finished print. What we cannot do from a photo is a face or a detailed sculpture; those need a 3D artist or a 3D scan first.
- Does it cost extra if you have to make the 3D model?
- For simple parts such as clips, knobs, brackets, spacers and covers, drawing the model is part of the job and the quote you receive is the full price of the finished part. For a genuinely complex shape we tell you up front what it would take, before anything is agreed or paid.
- What measurements do you need for a replacement part?
- The overall length, width and height, plus every dimension that has to fit something else: hole diameters, slot widths, the distance between screw holes, the thickness of the panel it clips to. Measure the fit dimensions carefully and in millimetres; the rest can be approximate.
- How long does a quote take without a file?
- We reply on the same working day. If the photos and measurements are complete, that reply is the quote itself, with material, print time and price. If something is missing we ask once, and the quote follows as soon as you answer.