Patrons can request & submit a 3D print object file (.stl), as well as color & scale specifications via the online form.
- A maximum of ~3 hours print-time will be allotted per person, per day.
- Print time is based on the object’s size & complexity, as well as need for a support structure. A typical 3 hour print is an object is an object a few inches (2-3) tall, to give a very general guideline. (If size does not matter, we can automatically scale down your object to fit the printing time limits.)
- We cannot guarantee the print will be completed same-day. We will contact you when your print is complete.
- The 3D printer can only print 1 file, containing one continuous object, at a time. Files with multiple parts must be printed one-at-a-time.
- Cost is based on the amount of filament (grams) used to print. The first 28 grams cost $1.00, and each additional gram is 5¢ more. Payment must be made at the Circulation Desk at the time of pick up.
- Print priority is given to Millburn cardholders, though any library guest can request a print, first-come, first-serve.
- Please review our 3D printing policy before submitting. Your request may be rejected if it does not follow the Library guidelines.
Don’t know how to use CAD (computer-aided design) software? Don’t worry! You have access to a huge online community of designers who have posted their 3D print designs, for free, on the Internet. Here are some popular sites to browse the Makerverse and find a 3D print object (.stl file):
- Thingiverse: a huge community of user-created digital designs. Everything is free and everything is cool.
- Tinkercad: in addition to having free 3D design software, you can also find 3d objects in the community gallery.
You’re welcome to browse for a 3D object made by someone else in the 3D printing community, or even scan an object you have— but you can also design your own 3D prints, using CAD skills.
CAD, or Computer Assisted Drawing, is the term for the software that implements 3d renderings of objects in digital files. It’s fun to design a cool toy or object, but it’s a useful career skill to gain as well, as professions from architecture to engineering to animators use CAD all the time.
Here are some resources to check out that offer free CAD software you can download on your own devices or use on the web, then ask the Library to print:
- TinkerCad.com: a free, web-based software (no download required) for designing 3D objects. You can also browse other users’ 3D objects (including a 3D-perspective view of them), and even copy them to modify for your own printing. Tutorials and handy tricks are available as well.
- SketchUp: another free, web-based software, though many of its more robust features are in the paid version only.
- AutoCAD: from the AutoDesk Company, this professional CAD software is available free for school students & educators, as long as they can prove their education status.
The following filament colors are available for 3D printing. Note that each 3D object comes in a solid color (only if you have separate parts can they be printed in different colors).
The Library reserves the right to refuse the production of any content at any time, at the discretion of library staff. Examples of objects that may not be produced include, but are not limited to:
- Objects that are too large for the 3D printer’s build-plate: 9.9 x 7.8 x 5.5 inches, and/or that will exceed the permissible printing time (~3 hours).
- Objects in violation of another’s intellectual property rights.
- Any object that is prohibited by local, state or federal law.
- Objects that are unsafe, harmful, dangerous, or pose an immediate threat to the safety & well-being of others.
- Items that can be viewed as threatening, or racially, ethnically, or otherwise provocative or inappropriate for the Library environment.