Ordering a custom 3D print can feel like a black box if you have never done it before. Here is exactly what happens, in order, from the moment you click Upload to the moment the package arrives at your door.
1. Upload and describe your part
You upload your STL, OBJ, 3MF, or STEP file and fill in a short brief: what the part is for, the quantity, your preferred material, tolerance expectations, and any cosmetic requirements. The more context you give, the tighter the quotes come back.
2. Instant price range
Our system analyzes your file geometry (volume, bounding box, wall thickness, print time estimate) and shows you an instant price range for the technologies our makers actually run — FDM and resin (SLA). This is a sanity check, not a final quote.
3. Verified makers send real quotes
Within a few hours, verified makers who own the right equipment and materials send individual quotes. You will typically see 3–8 responses. Each quote includes the maker's proposed material, production time, shipping estimate, and any notes about your design.
4. You pick a maker and pay
You compare quotes, message makers with questions, and accept one. Your card is charged and the money is held by the platform — it sits on our payment account, not the maker's, until you confirm the part arrived as expected. On top of the maker's price you pay one service fee, shown before you pay and never applied to shipping; the maker keeps 100% of what they quoted. The current rate and the minimum job size are on the Pricing page.
5. Production and quality review
The maker prints and post-processes the part, then uploads photos before shipping anything. You approve the photos or ask for changes. The order moves In production → Quality review → Shipped → Delivered → Completed, and you get a notification at each step.
Fixed-price catalog orders skip quality review by design — the item is a known, published product, so there is nothing for you to approve before it ships.
6. Delivery and release
The carrier marks it delivered, you open the box, and you confirm delivery. Funds release to the maker after that. If you do nothing, the order auto-confirms 3 days after delivery. If something is wrong, request a revision or open a dispute inside that window.
Typical timelines
- Quoting: same day to 24 hours
- Production: 2–7 days depending on size and technology
- Shipping: 2–5 business days — the catalog ships within the United States only, and marketplace jobs are matched to makers in your own country, so nothing crosses a border
Expect most simple parts to arrive within 5–10 days of placing the order.