Updated 2026-09-05 · 5 min read
Can you 3D print an OBJ file?
Quick answer
Not with an instant price. Our upload tool reads STL and 3MF today, not OBJ. The fix: open the .obj file in the program that made it, often a 3D art or game tool, and export it as an STL or 3MF, which most of those programs can do. If that is not possible, drop the .obj file in anyway and use the send this file for review button, so a person can look at it by hand.
Upload your file and get one printed for you.
Have an OBJ file ready?
- Export it to STL or 3MF first, if you can, for the fastest path.
- No export handy? Send the original OBJ file for review.
- A person opens it and replies by email.
An OBJ file, ending in .obj, is common in 3D art, games, and scanning software. It describes a shape the way an STL does, as a mesh of triangles, but the file format itself is different enough that our upload tool does not read it today.
The fast path: export it yourself
If you have the program that made or opened the .obj file, whether that is a 3D art tool, a game engine, or a scanning app, look for Export or Save As and choose STL as the file type. Free tools like Blender open an OBJ and export an STL in a few clicks, with no cost. Once you have the STL, upload it here for a price right away.
One thing worth checking on an OBJ that came from a scan or a downloaded art asset: it should describe one solid, closed shape. A shape with gaps or a surface that is not fully closed, sometimes called non manifold, can export to an STL that will not price or print cleanly. If your export looks broken, say so when you upload and a person will take a look.
The honest path: send it to a person
No program to export with, or the export did not look right? Go to our upload tool and drop the .obj file in anyway. It tells you plainly that it takes STL and 3MF, and offers a button to send this file for review instead of turning you away.
Add your email and a short note about what you need, and that is the whole form. A person opens the file, and we reply by email once they have. Whatever material and color you already picked comes along, so you are not starting over.
What to do with an OBJ file, step by step
Step 1
Try exporting it first
Open the .obj in the program that made or opened it, and use Export or Save As to choose STL.
Step 2
Upload the exported STL
Drop the new file into our upload tool for a price right away.
Step 3
No program handy? Upload the OBJ file anyway
Drop the .obj file in. The tool will say it takes STL and 3MF, with a button to send it for review.
Step 4
Add your email and a note
Say what the part is and what you need. Nothing else is asked for.
Step 5
Wait for a reply by email
A person opens the file and writes back once they have actually looked at it.
| File type | Do we read it here? | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| .stl | Yes | An instant price, right after you upload |
| .3mf | Yes | An instant price, right after you upload |
| .obj | Not for an instant price | A hand off to a person for review, no price until they look |
Instant price or a person by hand, by file type.
Worth knowing
What we will not promise
We do not price an OBJ file sight unseen. An OBJ exported from art or scanning software can look fine on screen and still not be a closed, solid shape underneath, and that is something only an actual STL export or a person's review can catch, not a guess from the file name alone. Our upload tool scales a printable file up to about 8.7 inches (222 mm) on the longest side in one piece, the same limit any format has.
- Why can I not just upload my OBJ file directly?
- Our upload tool reads STL and 3MF only today. An OBJ needs to be exported to one of those first for an instant price, or sent for review to a person.
- How do I convert an OBJ to STL?
- Open it in the program that made or opened it and use Export or Save As, choosing STL. Free tools like Blender handle this easily.
- My OBJ came from a 3D scan. Will it still work?
- Often, yes, once exported to STL. A scan can leave small gaps in the surface that need fixing first. If your export looks broken, tell us when you upload and we will take a look.
- Does sending an OBJ file for review cost anything?
- No. A person tells you the price once they can see what the part actually needs.
Common questions
- Why can I not just upload my OBJ file directly?
- Our upload tool reads STL and 3MF only today. An OBJ needs to be exported to one of those first for an instant price, or sent for review to a person.
- How do I convert an OBJ to STL?
- Open it in the program that made or opened it and use Export or Save As, choosing STL. Free tools like Blender handle this easily.
- My OBJ came from a 3D scan. Will it still work?
- Often, yes, once exported to STL. A scan can leave small gaps in the surface that need fixing first. If your export looks broken, tell us when you upload and we will take a look.
- Does sending an OBJ file for review cost anything?
- No. A person tells you the price once they can see what the part actually needs.
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