A lot of the fun of getting involved with 3D printing is actually producing your object or 3D model by printing it yourself. But there are a number of reasons why, at times, you may want or need to hire the printing process out to a third party.
If you are just a hobby 3D printer – you may be more limited in the types of filament that you can use compared to some of the 3D printing services out there. But you might still really like to see a particular model you’ve designed or created printed in a filament that you can’t print yourself with your own 3D printing equipment.
That’s where the option of using a 3D printing service is of great value! Hop on over to one of their websites and get a quote to see how much it would cost to get your model printed in the material you want! Or maybe it is even a material that you could technically print with on your own equipment – but it a more difficult material or filament to work with that you have not had any success with yet.
What is a 3D Printing Service?
A 3D printing service is just that – a company that people send 3D models to for 3D printing. If you do not have a 3D printer, or don’t want one – but are interested in having a 3D model printed, you can send (upload on the web) the model to a 3D printing service to print the model for you.
3D Printing services utilize much more sophisticated, industrial grade 3D printers to 3D print your model that are far beyond what is available at the hobbyist and consumer level. Additionally, even if you have a 3D printer but are not able to print a model in some of the more exotic materials like steel or titanium – you could hire a 3D printing service to do so. There are websites like All3DP’s www.Craftcloud3D.com, that compare various 3D printing services and can help you find the best value.
My Experiment & Experience: Hiring a 3D Printing Service
I designed this 3D model by manipulating an image for our company logo that we paid to have designed many years ago. I added the oval and my signature is embossed on the backside. You can read all about how to take an image and create a 3D object in my post HERE.
I thought it would be nice to have it printed in a material other than just color changing PLA like we did with our Creality Ender 3 Pro 3D printer @ home. So I set out to hire a 3D printing service to print it in something nicer & more substantial.
The specs for what I was looking to have printed are as follows:
I looked at several different 3D printing services – but ultimately chose Craftcloud as my service provider. I did so – because I liked the fact that they we not just a single printing service – but rather a marketplace of competing 3D printing service providers.
I also wanted to order this in a variety of materials. So I ordered the model to be printed in TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane), Stainless Steel & Titanium!
How to Order From a 3D Printing Service Company Like Craftcloud (w/ Pictures)
The Results – Delivery Time & What I Received From the 3D Printing Services
When I placed my orders – Craftcloud gave me a list of whatever offers were made for the specific material I had chosen. They clearly indicated the cheapest offer by highlighting it and also made a recommendation – ostensibly with regards to the best value balancing cost and delivery time. The country of origin & the 3D printing service company was also clearly indicated with each offer (quote).
So, I ordered our keychain in 3 different materials from 2 different 3D printing shops: Techanism in the USA and the other was IN3DTEC from China.
The TPU print was ordered from Techanism Labs in Hammond Louisiana. I placed my order on December 31st, 2021 (standard shipping) and the order was received on Monday January 10th, 2022. (The green copy on the left in my picture). This model was printed using FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling – the same technology that most consumer grade / home 3D printers use). I was a little disappointed with the results – as the letters in “Wealth Advisors” were not all clear. Other than that – the print quality was good and as I would have expected.
The stainless steel & titanium were ordered from IN3DTEC from Shanghai China. These 2 pieces were also ordered with standard shipping and were received on January 19th, 2022. Both of these pieces were printed with DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering) / SLM (Selective Laser Melting). The printing quality was excellent! All the letters in “Wealth Advisors” were very clear & clean. I was impressed with the print quality.
However, I was very disappointed with the shipping practices. These 2 pieces were just slightly less than $300 (US) ($290.75, to be exact) – and no one from IN3DTEC could take 30 seconds to tape them down – so they would bang together and damage each other! Amazing!
There was a piece of packaging material ON TOP of the pieces – but the pieces we free to bang together underneath that packaging material.
I did provide feedback to Craftcloud and will see if they reach out to me. If they do – I will update this post.
***UPDATE*** 2/18/2022: After going back & forth with Craftcloud a little bit – I did receive a partial refund for my order ($61.08, to be precise) – since the titanium keychain was quite banged up. I am inclined to use Craftcloud again – and maybe even IN3DTEC. I trust that they will be more careful in packing future orders. If not – I know that Craftcloud is at least a company with some integrity and cares about the experience their customers have and they will work with me, in good faith, to arrive at a satisfactory solution.
I am glad that I ordered the keychain to be produced in 3 different materials. Of the three – the stainless steel is definitely my favorite. It looks just like I was hoping and is very solid & rugged!
Review of My Ordering Experience with Craftcloud
Issues I experienced:
1) Sales Tax
Sales tax wasn’t broken out in my invoice from Craftcloud – so I can only assume it was built into the price quoted.
2) Authentication / Confirmation Email – When Trying to Create an Account
I had a lot of trouble creating an account. There was a huge delay in receiving my verification / authentication code (about an hour or so). When it did finally come – I would enter it as I tried to sign in – but, repeatedly & consistently, the page would not load and would just hang….
I would still recommend that you create a Craftcloud account and sign up for their email newsletter – as you will probably get yourself a coupon to save something like 5%…
I hope Cloudcraft can resolve this. I welcome them to reach out to me to help correct this issue. A 5% credit would also be welcome!
3) Ordering Multiple Units of the SAME Model in DIFFERENT Materials
I was also frustrated with the process of ordering multiple units of the SAME MODEL in DIFFERENT MATERIALS with Craftcloud. Instead of uploading the model once and being able to have it printed in several materials – by selecting from a buffet of options – I was required after I selected each material to go back out to the upload screen again and re-upload the same model to select the next material, I wanted the model printed in. It seems it should have given me the option of continuing to shop with regard to the model I already uploaded!
In contrast – having the SAME 3D model printed in different materials IS very easy with Shapeways. Just as you would expect – when you finish selecting one – it allows you to select ANOTHER material – without forcing you to upload the same model again. Almost like they expect you might want to order the same model to be printed in different materials!
Likewise – Shapeways also made it VERY EASY to have more than one copy of your model to be 3D printed in your selected material.
4) Obtaining a Discount Code for Your Craftcloud Order
I would recommend that you sign up for a Craftcloud account BEFORE placing your order. You will, most likely, be sent a coupon code to save on your purchase – something on the order of 5% or so. It may take awhile to come (several hours), so be patient.
5) Potential Printing Issue Identified
A day or so after I had placed my order with Craftcloud I received an email from the company. The email was from Craftcloud and it explained that the 3D printer company had identified a potential issue with my model. It indicated that there were some areas of the model where the wall thickness was less than .5mm and might not print well. The email actually contained an image of the area for reference. The email indicated that I needed to respond and either accept the risk that the identified area might not print well, or modify the model and resubmit it for printing.
In this case it was only a small, raised surface in the loop of the letter “h” in my signature that is on the bottom of the keychain FOB – so I accepted the risk that the model might not print well in that area and gave them permission to proceed.
Pricing Examples for 3D Printing Services
Materials Available @ Craftcloud & The Corresponding Quotes for Each
All prices are as of December 12, 2021 from Craftcloud. The chart is sorted in descending order of the popularity of materials selected & ordered for models that are 3D printed @ Craftcloud. In other words – PLA is the most commonly selected material people are choosing when using the Craftcloud marketplace to have their 3D models printed by a third party.
There are an astounding 68 materials (or variations thereof) listed – with 61 types of material being available with a price quoted for my model – and 7 being listed as “Not Available” with no price quote being given. You can see a detailed description of the various materials available at Craftcloud HERE.
| Material | Price | # of Offers |
| PLA | $6.37 + $5 Shipping = $11.37 Total | 1,245 Offers |
| ABS | $5.00 + $7.50 Shipping = $12.50 Total | 511 Offers |
| PETG | $5.00 + $7.00 Shipping = $12.00 Total | 480 Offers |
| Standard Resin | $11.86 + $5 Shipping = $16.86 Total | 285 Offers |
| SLS Nylon PA12 | $9.46 + $5.00 Shipping = $14.46 Total | 235 Offers |
| MJF Nylon PA12 | $8.82 + $5.00 Shipping = $13.82 Total | 82 Offers |
| Tough Resin | $15.00 + $5.00 Shipping = $20.00 Total | 132 Offers |
| FDM TPU | $6.42 + $7.00 Shipping = $13.42 Total | 335 Offers |
| Transparent Resin | $14.53 + $5.00 Shipping = $19.53 Total | 114 Offers |
| High Detail Resin | $11.86 + $5.00 Shipping = $16.86 Total | 156 Offers |
| ASA | $5.00 + $7.50 Shipping = $12.50 Total | 209 Offers |
| FDM Nylon | $14.36 + $5.00 Shipping = $19.36 Total | 81 Offers |
| 316L Steel | $60.71 + $32 Shipping = $92.71 Total | 13 Offers |
| Aluminum | $50.72 + $32.00 Shipping = $82.72 Total | 16 Offers |
| Polycarbonate | $8.99 + $7 Shipping = $15.99 Total | 71 Offers |
| Gas Filled Nylon | $11.30 + $5.00 Shipping = $16.30 Toal | 29 Offers |
| Somos Evolve | $10.00 + $32.00 Shipping = $42.00 Total | 71 Offers |
| Powder based TPU | $12.04 + $5.00 Shipping = $17.40 Total | 40 Offers |
| Polypropylene | $8.23 + $5.00 Shipping = $13.23 Total | 6 Offers |
| Wood-Filled PLA | $6.37 + $5.00 Shipping = $11.37 Total | 42 Offers |
| Elastic Resin | $22.47 + $40.00 Shipping = $26.47 Total | 5 Offers |
| 420/BR Steel | $43.99 + $6.79 Shipping = $50.78 Total | 28 Offers |
| Sterling Silver | $447.82 + $15.90 Shipping = $463.72 Total | 19 Offers |
| MJF Nylon PA11 | $11.30 + $5.00 Shipping = $16.30 Total | 41 Offers |
| HIPS | $7.85 + $5.00 Shipping = $12.85 Total | 50 Offers |
| Flexible Resin | $28.12 + $10.00 Shipping = $38.12 Total | 6 Offers |
| Brass | $180.92 + $35.00 Shipping = $215.92 Total | 10 Offers |
| Somos® GP Plus 14122 | $4.30 + $34.00 Shipping = $37.30 Total | 2 Offers |
| Plated Brass | $312.68 + $15.90 Shipping = $328.58 Total | 19 Offers |
| PEEK | $32.15 + $32.00 Shipping = $64.15 Total | 19 Offers |
| Castable Resin | $16.79 + $7.99 Shipping = $24.78 Total | 25 Offers |
| Titanium | $225.42 + $15.90 Shipping = $241.32 Total | 12 Offers |
| Markforged® Onyx | $18.75 + $15.00 Shipping = $33.75 Total | 1 Offer |
| FDM Polypropylene | $8.99 + $7.00 Shipping = $15.99 Total | 28 Offers |
| Ultrafuse 316L Steel | $68.94 + $6.79 Shipping = $78.73 Total | 1 Offer |
| Alumide | $19.24 + $6.79 Shipping = $26.03 Total | 34 Offers |
| Rigid Resin | $15.63 + $5.00 Shipping = $20.63 Total | 15 Offers |
| Gold | $23,666.71 + $35.00 Shipping = $23,701.71 Total | 1 Offer |
| Bronze | $217.84 + $15.90 Shipping = $233.74 Total | 12 Offers |
| Somos® Taurus | $7.38 + $34.00 Shipping = $41.38 Total | 12 Offers |
| BioMed Resin | $22.50 + $5.00 Shipping = $27.50 Total | 9 Offers |
| High Temperature Resin | $15.64 + $7.99 Shipping = $23.63 Total | 24 Offers |
| Somos® PerFORM | $40.54 + $32.00 Shipping = $72.54 Total | 5 Offers |
| SLS Nylon PA6 | $22.83 + $6.79 Shipping = $29.62 Total | 6 Offers |
| Accura® Xtreme | $32.37 + $10.00 Shipping = $42.37 Total | 15 Offers |
| SLS Nylon PA11 | $18.62 + $6.79 Shipping =$25.41 Total | 37 Offers |
| Metal-filled PLA | $9.97 + $5.00 Shipping = $14.97 Total | 14 Offers |
| PC-ABS | $18.00 + $5.00 Shipping = $23.00 Total | 11 Offers |
| Maraging Steel | $148.11 + $32.00 Shipping = $180.11 Total | 5 Offers |
| Accura® ClearVue | $24.40 + $40.00 Shipping = $64.40 Total | 2 Offers |
| Durable Resin | $22.50 + $5.00 Shipping = $27.50 Total | 5 Offers |
| Impact-resistant Resin | $26.14 + $32.00 Shipping = $56.14 Total | 5 Offers |
| iglidur® I150-PF | $7.71 + $35.00 Shipping = $42.71 Total | 1 Offer |
| Carbon® Resin | $97.24 + $6.79 Shipping = $104.03 Total | 2 Offers |
| Castable Wax | $95.03 + $40.00 Shipping = $135.03 Total | 1 Offer |
| ULTEM | $23.12 + $35.00 Shipping = $58.12 Total | 23 Offers |
| Copper | $191.76 + $15.00 Shipping = $206.76 Total | 5 Offers |
| Ultrafuse 17-4 PH Steel | $68.94 + $6.79 Shipping = $75.73 Total | 1 Offer |
| Accura® 25 | $26.98 + $10.00 Shipping = $36.98 Total | 17 Offers |
| PPSU/PPSF | $23.12 + $35.00 Shipping = $58.12 Total | 5 Offers |
| Multicolor | $20.28 + $15.90 Shipping = $36.18 Total | 6 Offers |
| PMMA | Not Available | 0 Offers |
| Silicone Rubber | Not Available | 0 Offers |
| EnvisionTEC E-Mould | Not Available | 0 Offers |
| Platinum | Not Available | 0 Offers |
| Surgical Guide Resin | Not Available | 0 Offers |
| Markforged® H13 Tool Steel | Not Available | 0 Offers |
| Visijet® M3 Navy | Not Available | 0 Offers |
Comparing Pricing Quotes from Craftcloud & Shapeways 3D Printing Services for the EXACT Same 3D Model
| Material | Craftcloud | Shapeways |
| TPU | $21.00 Total (I got to pick color (green) & price included shipping | $38.35 Total $27.47 + $3.04 (processing) + $5 (shipping) + $2.84 (tax) (No ability to pick color) |
| Stainless Steel | $75.10 Total Stainless Steel 316L (Polished glossy & Included shipping) | $88.61 Total $74.00 + $3.04 (processing) + $5 (shipping) + $6.57 (tax) Stainless Steel 17-4PH (BJT) (With a semi-matte finish & rough surface, parts are media blasted after sintering |
| Titanium | $215.65 Total (Raw, includes shipping) | Not Available |
| # of Materials offered | 61 | 21 |
NOTE 1: I replicated the order I placed @ Craftcloud as best I could with Shapeways in the same 24 hours as placing my order with Craftcloud. Shapeways brokeout a prcoessing fee, a shipping fee & 8% tax – but did not allocate it proportionately between the two models I could order through Shapeways (titanium was NOT available). So I did allocate proportionately to standardize the total pricing/cost for comparison purposes.
NOTE 2: So this is as best of an apples-to-apples comparison as I could put together. The stainless steel types are different – so I list the respective types for both orders. Shapeways did not offer nearly as many finishing & color options as were available through Craftcloud. However, the shopping experience through Shapeways was more of what you would expect with regard to having your model printed in various materials as well as changing the quantity of models of each material to purchase.
When to Use a 3D Printing Service
Some suggestions for when it may be appropriate to use a 3D printing service are as follows:
- If you don’t have and 3D printer.
- If you can’t successfully print a model.
- If you want something printed in an exotic material and your 3D printer isn’t capable of printing in that material.
- If you need multiple prints of your 3D model and can’t or don’t want to do all the printing yourself.
What to Do BEFORE Sending Your 3D Model to a 3D Printing Service
- Proof: 3D print a PROOF of your model yourself – in something like PLA if you can. This will give you an opportunity to avoid any silly mistakes you might miss by just looking at a CAD image of the model. You don’t want there to be gaps or misalignments of elements of the model that would easily be caught upon producing an actual physical proof!
- Size: Verify that the model is the SIZE that you want it to be. You are paying for the materials – so make sure it is the correct size.
- Material: Decide what MATERIAL you want the model to be printed in. There are going to be differing cost associated with each material. Metals will be more expensive than the various plastic material options that are offered.
- Budget: Set a BUDGET for what you are willing to spend to have your model printed for you and stick with it! Otherwise – it might be a little like shopping for groceries while you are hungry!
What Do You Need to Provide to a 3D Printing Service?
- STL file or your 3D model or object. Some services like Craftcloud support over 35 file formats – including STL, OBJ, STEP, ZIP files.
- Size / Measurements of the Model: Desired size / measurements of printed object. When you upload your 3D model you will get to confirm the measurement of the model to be printed. Again, remember there is a cost associated with the amount of material it will take to print your model.
- Material: Type of material you want the object printed in. You may get many choices of materials. You will have to select what material you want to have your model printed with.
- Color & Finish. For some materials – you may have several color & finish options to select from. For example – for titanium you would have 4 finish options to choose from – including Raw, Deburred, Glassblasted, & Polished. There may be a cost difference associated with each type of finish. Those involving more processing time & effort to be more expensive – sometimes significantly so!
- Infill: Some materials will prompt you to choose the amount of infill you want the model to be printed with. I encountered this when I had a model printed in TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane).
- Payment. Most accept credit cards and PayPal.
What to Do AFTER Ordering from a 3D Printing Service
- Make sure your payment went through. You should verify that the charge went through on your method of payment (credit card, Paypal, etc) for your 3D printing order.
- Monitor your email for communications. The 3D printing service may run an analysis on your model – and if they detect any potential issues with printing your model – they will probably reach out to you to be proactive and see how you want to proceed. On my model, I had a signature on the bottom of the key FOB. They detected there was an area that the walls were less than .5mm thick and reached out to me. Had I not been monitoring my email – I would not have known that – and my order may not have been processed.
- Monitor the Status of your Order. Craftcloud will provide you with a link (via an email) that will show you the status of your order. In my case it showed me the status of the print jobs at both of the print service companies working on their respective parts of my order. I didn’t even need to have an account with them or to long-in to view the status of my order with this link.
- Inspect you model upon receipt. Take some time to inspect your model – even with a magnifying glass – to make sure that the quality is acceptable to you.
- Communicate any feedback to the 3D printing service. If there are any problems with the order – it is best to provide the 3D printing service feedback right away to work towards an acceptable resolution and your satisfaction.
Considerations When Hiring a 3D Printing Service Company
- Types of Materials Offered – Some 3D printing service specialize in certain materials (like metals) – while others offer a wide range of materials.
- Location of 3D Printing Company – You may have a preference for where the company is located. Some people only want to buy domestic – so knowing if the company is located abroad would be important. The physical location of the 3D printing service company will obviously affect the time for delivery.
- Cost – Just like with anything else – some vendors are more cost competitive than others. So it may pay to shop around.
- Quality & Customer Service – Reputation for quality & customer service are also a consideration that should be factored int to your decision when hiring a 3D printing service.
- Types of 3D Printing Offered – Some 3D printing service companies may only offer certain types of 3D printing – such as FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) or SLS (Selective Laser Sintering). Others offer a wide range.
- Time / Speed of Delivery – Proximity of the 3D printing service company to where you are located will obviously play a role in delivery times.
- Privacy – Will the company you use as a 3D printer service respect your privacy?
- Certifications – ISO 9001 certification, etc…
- Marketplace versus Single Company – Companies like Craftcloud offer a marketplace of competing 3D printing service companies – rather than just their own 3D printing service. I found this to be appealing – and felt like they were kind of the Amazon of 3D printing service companies. That is why I chose them for this little experiment of mine.
Online 3D Printing Services
This is just a list of some of the most established 3D printing services available to you. Some specialize in certain types of 3D printing or serve specific industries.
- Craftcloud
- Marketplace of 3D printer service companies. Like Amazon – but only for 3D printer services…
- 16 different 3D printing technologies offered.
- 63 unique materials offered.
- Supports >35 file types
- I like All3DP’s service Craftcloud3D.com – since it is a price comparison service for many different 3D printers and it covers an amazing array of different materials with which things can be printed! I can’t wait until I can find something I can justify being printed in titanium!
- Shapeways
- Not as much information about materials as Craftcloud provides.
- 21 materials available.
- ISO 9001 compliant printing / manufacturing facilities located Long Island, NY & Eindhoven, the Netherlands
- Xometry
- MakeXYZ
- Sculpteo
- 3D Experience Marketplace
- Treatstock
- Fast Radius
- Kraftwurx
- Materialise OnSite
- ProtoLabs
- SD3D
- WhiteClouds
- Stratasys
- Hubs
- i.Materialise
How to Order From a 3D Printing Service Company Like Craftcloud (w/ Pictures)
This is just a more detailed explanation of the process of hiring a 3D printing service to print your 3D model. It has the same pictures as the slide show above (plus a couple more) – and just more detailed explanations to go with each of the pictures.
1) Navigate to The Craftcloud Website & Request an Instant Quote
Before I would do this – I think it would be best to open an account first – and sign up for their newsletter. That way – you will probably get a coupon for something like 5% off that you might be able to use with your first order!
2) Upload Your 3D Model & Confirm Settings
3) Select Materials & See Prices
There are a lot of materials available through Craftcloud! So you will need to scroll through quite a list. I wanted my keychain FOB in three materials. FDM TPU, Stainless Steel & Titanium. Unfortunately, the ordering process for multiple materials through Craftcloud is not quite as elegant as it is with Shapeways. I basically had to go out to the main screen after selecting and ordering each material to upload the model AGAIN – just to select the next material!
First, I Wanted The KeyChain 3D Printed in TPU
As I indicated above, unfortunately, this is where it gets a little cumbersome with Craftcloud. I found I basically needed to click on the logo and return to the home page to then select another material for the SAME model! I even had to upload the model yet again!
Second, I Wanted The KeyChain 3D Printed in 316L Steel (Stainless Steel)
Again, after adding the stainless steel model to my shopping cart I had to AGAIN, go to the homepage and start the process all over again – including uploading the model AGAIN! Very cumbersome process!
Finally, I Wanted the Keychain 3D Printed in Titanium!
Check-Out!
Check -Out as a Guest, Or Create An Account?
Coclusion
Of course, 3D printing your own models is most of the fun of having 3D printing as a hobby. But there may be very good reasons that it sometime makes sense to hire a 3D printing service to print your model. Likewise – sometimes it is just fun to have you model printed by a 3D printing service to see a professional company can do with your model – or to have it printed in a material that you are not able to print with you own 3D printer.
I hope you found this post helpful. Any constructive input is always welcome!
Sincerely,
Justin, I actually took the screen shots just after placing the order – & the pricing & offers were just slightly different.
Hey Chip, nice write up! Very informative. Just curious, why did you choose Techanism Labs for fulfilling your TPU order through Craftcloud? In the screenshots provided it looks like Hudson Creative Group would have offered a better deal quicker.