You can get 3D printing done through online service bureaus, local makerspaces, retail shipping stores, and even public libraries. The best option depends on what you need printed, how fast you need it, and how much you want to spend. For most people, uploading a file to an online service is the fastest path from idea to finished part.
Online 3D Printing Services
Online service bureaus are the most accessible option for anyone with a digital file ready to go. You upload your 3D model, choose a material and printing technology, get an instant quote, and receive your part by mail within days. No membership, no equipment knowledge, and no minimum order at most services.
The major platforms include Craftcloud, Xometry, Sculpteo, Materialise OnSite, FacFox, Treatstock, and Protolabs. Craftcloud aggregates quotes from over 150 professional print shops worldwide, letting you compare prices and turnaround times in one place. Xometry and Materialise each support more than seven different printing technologies, covering everything from basic plastic prototypes to functional metal parts. Most of these services have no minimum order value, so printing a single small part is perfectly fine. Protolabs is the exception, requiring a minimum order.
The workflow is simple: you upload a file (more on file formats below), select your material, and the platform generates a price. Shipping typically takes a few business days to a week depending on the technology and your location. If you need something printed in metal, nylon, or flexible resin, online bureaus are often your only realistic option outside of industrial facilities.
Local Makerspaces and Fab Labs
If you’d rather work with someone in person, or you want to learn the process yourself, a community makerspace is a great option. These are shared workshops equipped with 3D printers, laser cutters, and other fabrication tools. Make Magazine’s Makerspace Directory lists over 855 spaces globally, and you can search by location to find one near you.
Makerspaces typically operate on a membership model, with monthly fees that give you access to equipment and training. Some also offer day passes or per-project pricing if you only need occasional access. The real advantage here is hands-on help. Staff or experienced members can walk you through design adjustments, help you pick the right settings, and troubleshoot print failures. For a first-time project or something that needs iteration, this kind of feedback loop is hard to replicate online.
Public libraries in many cities have added 3D printers to their offerings as well. The selection is usually limited to basic plastic printing (PLA filament on a desktop printer), but the cost is often free or just a few cents per gram of material. Check your local library system’s website to see if this is available near you.
Retail and Shipping Stores
Some UPS Store locations have offered 3D printing services, though availability varies widely by location. Products, services, and pricing differ from store to store, so you’ll need to contact your nearest location directly to confirm whether they currently have a printer on site. This can be a convenient option if you want to drop off a file and pick up a finished part locally, but don’t count on it being available everywhere.
Choosing the Right Material
The material you choose affects the strength, appearance, flexibility, and cost of your printed part. Online services typically offer a wide range, while local makerspaces and libraries tend to stock only a few basics.
- PLA is the most common and cheapest option. It works well for visual prototypes, display models, and projects that won’t face heat or heavy stress. Most library and makerspace printers use PLA.
- PETG is a step up in durability and heat resistance, making it better for functional parts that need to hold up over time.
- Nylon is strong, slightly flexible, and resistant to wear. It’s a popular choice for mechanical parts like gears, clips, and hinges. Online services print nylon using industrial powder-bed technologies that produce tougher results than desktop printers.
- Resin produces parts with very fine detail and smooth surfaces, ideal for jewelry, miniatures, dental models, and anything where appearance matters more than impact strength.
- Metal (steel, aluminum, titanium) is available through specialized online bureaus for functional engineering parts, tooling, and jewelry. Metal printing uses laser or electron beam systems to fuse metal powder layer by layer. It’s significantly more expensive than plastic, but it produces parts you can actually use under load.
Preparing Your File
Every 3D printing service needs a digital 3D model, and the STL file format is the industry standard. If you’ve designed something in CAD software like Fusion 360, Onshape, or SOLIDWORKS, you’ll export your model as an STL before uploading it. Some services also accept OBJ or 3MF files, but STL is universally supported.
When exporting, use binary STL format (it produces smaller files than ASCII). Set the chordal tolerance to 0.1 mm and the angular tolerance to 1 degree. These settings control how accurately the exported file represents your original curved surfaces. If the resulting file is larger than 20 MB, you can increase those tolerance values slightly to bring the size down, since very large files slow down the quoting and slicing process.
Your model needs to be “watertight,” meaning the 3D mesh fully encloses your geometry with no gaps or missing faces. Most CAD programs handle this automatically, but if you built your model in a mesh editor or downloaded it from a site like Thingiverse, it’s worth running it through a free repair tool like Microsoft 3D Builder or Meshmixer before uploading.
What If You Don’t Have a 3D File?
If you have an idea but no digital model, you have a few paths forward. Many online services and makerspaces offer design assistance for an additional fee. You can also hire a freelance 3D modeler on platforms like Fiverr or Upwork, where simple part modeling typically costs $20 to $100 depending on complexity. For parts that already exist physically, some services can work from detailed measurements or even 3D scans.
Free CAD tools like Tinkercad (browser-based, very beginner-friendly) and Fusion 360 (free for personal use) let you design your own models if you’re willing to invest a few hours learning. For simple geometric shapes, brackets, or enclosures, Tinkercad is often enough. For anything with precise dimensions or mechanical features, Fusion 360 gives you much more control.
Cost and Turnaround Expectations
Pricing for 3D printing depends on the part’s size, the material, and the printing technology. A small PLA part (something that fits in your palm) through an online service typically runs $5 to $30. Larger or more complex parts in engineering plastics might cost $50 to $200. Metal prints start considerably higher, often $100 or more for small parts.
Turnaround times range from 2 to 3 business days for standard plastic prints to a week or more for metal or specialty materials. Most services offer expedited options at a premium. If you go the makerspace route, you might have your part the same day, though print time itself can range from 30 minutes to 12 or more hours depending on size and resolution.