Tinkercad: simple modelling in your browser for 3D printing
Tinkercad is a free 3D editor that runs in your browser and builds models from basic shapes. It suits simple parts, stands, boxes or lettering, not complex shapes.
No model? No problem, pick a ready one
These sites have thousands of free models. Download an STL or 3MF and upload it here. If you sell it or use it for business, check the model licence. How to pick a model and licence
Contents
What Tinkercad is good for
Tinkercad was developed by Autodesk and anyone can sign up for free. A model is built from cubes, cylinders and other shapes that can be joined and subtracted. That is how you easily make a holder, a label, a cap or a stand. It is a sensible first step if you have never modelled anything.
For organic shapes, precise mechanical assemblies and parametric edits it is too limited. FreeCAD or Fusion are better for that.
How to export a model from Tinkercad
In the top right corner click Export and choose STL or OBJ. For printing, STL is right unless you need colours. Before exporting, select all the shapes so the whole model ends up in the file.
Tinkercad works in millimetres, so the file should come out the right size after upload. Check it against the dimensions shown in the calculator.
What to watch for
- Needless fine detail. Very thin walls or details under 0.8 mm do not print cleanly with a 0.4 mm nozzle, more in the entry on smallest feature.
- Cavities and overlaps. If a model was made by sticking together several shapes that only touch, export them merged into one solid.
- Size. The largest part we can print in one go is 246 × 246 × 256 mm.
Tinkercad and your order
Say you want 50 coasters with a company name on them. In Tinkercad you draw a cylinder, subtract a recess and add text. Make the base at least 1.2 mm thick so it is not fragile. Make the lettering with thicker strokes so the 0.4 mm nozzle draws it cleanly. Save the export as STL, upload it, choose the material and a quantity of 50 and the calculator shows the price per piece and the lead time straight away. With a larger quantity more of them fit on one bed, which lowers the price per piece.
You upload the resulting STL file to the calculator and see the price and lead time right away. We genuinely prepare the model for printing, so the price comes from real grams and time. If the parts will be assembled, think about the tolerances between parts that fit together.
Common questions
Is Tinkercad free?
Yes, basic use is free, you only need an account. The terms are set by Autodesk.
What format should I send a model from Tinkercad in?
STL is best. OBJ works too. We accept both formats up to 50 MB.
Can I make a multicolour model in Tinkercad?
For multicolour printing we need a 3MF with colours assigned. If Tinkercad cannot export it, open the model in a slicer, assign the colours and save as 3MF.
Related terms
STL
STL is the most common file format for 3D printing. It describes only the surface of a model as a mesh of triangles, with no colours, material or units.
OBJ
OBJ is an open 3D model format that describes the surface as a mesh of polygons and can refer to materials and textures. Graphics programs and 3D scanners commonly export it.
CAD
CAD is computer-aided design, that is software for creating precise 2D and 3D models. A model from CAD is exported to STL or 3MF and sent to print.
FreeCAD
FreeCAD is a free, open source parametric CAD program. It suits precise mechanical parts that you want to edit later by changing dimensions.
Fusion (Fusion 360)
Fusion, long known as Fusion 360, is a parametric CAD program from Autodesk. It suits precise mechanical parts, assemblies and changing dimensions afterwards.
Smallest feature
The smallest feature is the smallest element that still prints cleanly in 3D printing. For FDM with a 0.4 mm nozzle it is about 0.8 mm in width and 0.2 mm in height.
SourcesSources checked 1 November 2026, 2
We will print it for you
Upload a model and see the price per piece, the total with shipping and the date at once. We print in Košice, Slovakia, from PLA and PETG.
No model? No problem, pick a ready one
These sites have thousands of free models. Download an STL or 3MF and upload it here. If you sell it or use it for business, check the model licence. How to pick a model and licence