These guides are for two kinds of readers. If you need something made, they cover what to prepare, what to ask and what tends to go wrong. If you own a machine, they cover how to turn it into paid work.
Ready to start? Find a fabricator. Not sure how orders work? Read how it works.
Get something made
Finding a fabricator near you, preparing a request and comparing quotes.
- Prepare your first local pickup
Agree on the brief, arrange a handover and check your finished item.
- Custom Parts Made Near Me: How to Get a Quote
Print, mill or cut? How a custom part can be made, how to describe it so any fabricator can quote it, and how to compare the quotes you get back.
- Rapid Prototyping Services: Idea to First Part
How to use rapid prototyping services to get from idea to first part: which process fits each stage, how to iterate cheaply and what to tell a fabricator.
- Small Batch Manufacturing with a Local Fabricator
How small batch manufacturing works with a local fabricator: what changes from one part to many, how to keep parts consistent, and when to move to a factory.
- Local Fabrication: Get Things Made Near You
What local fabrication is, why people pick a nearby fabricator, the honest trade-offs, and how to find one on PrintCommons and agree a job.
- What Is a Fabrication Marketplace?
A fabrication marketplace links people who need something made with fabricators who own machines. How PrintCommons works for buyers, creators and fabricators.
3D printing
Files, materials and what to expect when you have a part printed.
- 3D Printing Service Near Me: How to Find and Hire One
How to find a local 3D printing service, what to prepare before you ask, which questions to put to a fabricator, and how pickup compares with shipping.
- Custom 3D Printing Service: What to Expect
What a custom 3D printing service can make, what the fabricator needs from you, how quoting works, and what drives the price and the wait.
- Get My 3D Model Printed: File Formats and Fixes
Which file to send a 3D printing fabricator (STL, 3MF or STEP), the file problems that cause failed prints, and what to ask before you send it.
- 3D Print My Idea: Getting a Part Made Without a Model
No 3D model? Here is how to describe a part with sketches, photos and measurements so a fabricator can model it, and what is hard to reproduce.
- 3D Print Replacement Parts: A Practical Guide
How to get a broken or discontinued part 3D printed: measuring, photos with scale, material choice, and which parts you should never print.
CNC
Machined and routed parts, and what to send for a quote.
- CNC Machining Service: What to Prepare and Ask
What a CNC machining service can and cannot make, what to send for a quote, why tight tolerances raise the cost, and what to ask a local fabricator.
- CNC Router Service: Wood, Plastic and Sheet Parts
What a CNC router can cut, which files to send, why inside corners come out rounded, and what to ask a local fabricator about sheet parts and signs.
Laser and engraving
Cutting, engraving and the files and materials they need.
- Laser Cutting Service: Materials, Files and Finish
What a laser cutting service can cut, which vector files to send, what kerf and burn marks mean for your part, and what to ask a local fabricator.
- Laser Engraving Service: What You Can Personalize
Engraving, cutting and marking are not the same. See which materials engrave well, what artwork to send, and what a photo engraving can and cannot show.
Decals, vinyl and UV
Stickers, cut vinyl, UV printing and signs.
- Custom Decals and Stickers: Types, Surfaces, Artwork
Decal, sticker or label? Learn the difference, how indoor and outdoor vinyl differ, cut versus printed designs, what surfaces work and what artwork to send.
- Vinyl Cutting Service: Lettering, Stencils, Decals
Need cut vinyl lettering, window graphics or stencils? See what a vinyl cutter does, how weeding and transfer tape work, and what artwork to send a fabricator.
- UV Printing Service: What It Prints On and What to Ask
UV printing puts full-colour artwork straight onto hard objects. See what it prints on, why it suits short runs, what affects durability and what to ask.
- Custom Signs: Laser, CNC, Vinyl or UV Printing?
Compare laser, CNC, vinyl and UV printing for custom signs, plan for indoor or outdoor use and mounting, and learn what to send a fabricator for a quote.
Looking for order help?
The help center explains payments, delivery and disputes. Visit What's new for product notes.