Text to STL: 3D Printable Text Generator

What Can You Make with Text to STL?

This text to STL generator turns font outlines into solid geometry. Make desk labels, storage tags, raised nameplates, keychains or freestanding letters. Choose raised, engraved, through-cut or flush-inlay lettering to suit the design.

Text to STL combines lettering with a base, borders, mounting holes and locally imported artwork. Visible bridges can connect separated details. Colors and materials affect the preview; the STL carries geometry only.

How to Convert Text to STL

1. Start a text to STL design with Solid letters, Nameplate or Keychain. Enter wording and choose a font that supports its characters.
2. Set font size, spacing and alignment. Adjust individual line sizes for multiline text.
3. Choose the lettering process and height or recess depth. Set base thickness and margins where needed.
4. Add holes, borders or artwork. Support small details and disconnected dots with a base or bridges.
5. Click Generate 3D text to rebuild your text to STL model. Check dimensions and connected parts. Regenerate after parameter changes.
6. Sign in, export STL using your allowance or credits, and inspect scale, thin features and orientation in your slicer.

Text to STL Parameters Explained

These six text to STL groups control geometry and preview. Dimensions use millimeters; check the generated bounding box for the finished size.

1. Text to STL Fonts and Spacing

• Text to STL accepts up to 160 characters across six lines, without tabs. Unsupported characters produce an error rather than a substitute glyph.
• Font size: 4–80 mm sets font scale, not exact letter height. Letter spacing: −5–20 mm; extra line gap: 0–40 mm. Alignment supports left, center or right.
• Per-line sizes accept comma-separated values, such as 18, 14. Per-character extra spacing: −10–20 mm; positions include spaces but exclude newlines.
• For text to STL fonts, choose a built-in face, upload a static TTF/OTF, or use a licensed public HTTPS URL. Bold/italic require actual faces, not synthesized styles. Uploads stay in this browser. Online loading contacts the font host and requires CORS support.

2. Lettering Process

• Choose how to convert text to STL: Solid letters create geometry without a base; Raised lettering sits above one for a 3D printed nameplate.
• Text to STL offers Engraved recess at the surface or Through cutout through the base. Add bridges to connect separated counter islands.
• A text to STL inlay shows recessed base and flush text regions. Export combines them into one uncolored model, not separate printable inserts.
• Text height / recess depth: 0.4–20 mm. Engraving and inlay must leave at least 0.6 mm of base underneath; deepen the base before increasing the recess.

3. Base and Borders

• Give your text to STL design no base, a rectangle, rounded rectangle, ellipse, tag or text contour. Contours follow glyph outlines and may need bridges. Mounting holes require a geometric base.
• Text to STL sizes bases automatically around the design. Manual width: 10–300 mm; depth: 10–200 mm. Leave at least 1 mm around text and artwork, more near rounded corners or an ellipse.
• Base margin: 1–30 mm in automatic sizing. Thickness: 1.2–20 mm. Rounded-rectangle corner radius: 0.1–40 mm.
• Text to STL borders sit inside, outside or both; outside borders enlarge the footprint. Contour width: 0–15 mm, with zero disabling borders. Step height: 0.4–10 mm; layers: 1–4; inset/outset gap: 0–10 mm.
• Top chamfer: 0–5 mm, less than half the base thickness and clear of the design. External ring tabs remain flat. Recheck dimensions after adding borders.

4. Mounting and Connections

• Text to STL mounting options place holes left, right, top, on both sides or at four corners. External ring tabs extend beyond the base.
• Hole diameter: 2–20 mm; surrounding wall: 1.2–10 mm. Holes must fit the base and avoid lettering. Enlarge the base or change layout if generation reports a conflict.
• To keep text to STL letters together, enable Connect letters, dots & islands. Bridge width: 0.6–6 mm. Bridges are visible geometry; a valid mesh does not guarantee a durable connection on your printer.

5. Artwork and Dot Decoration

• Add local SVG, PNG or JPG artwork to text to STL as traced relief. Remove edge-connected background clears surrounding background; tolerance (0–255) controls which similar colors are removed. Choose 1–4 color regions, then Reprocess image to apply tracing changes.
• Artwork width: 2–150 mm; relief: 0.4–10 mm. X offset: −150–150 mm; Y: −100–100 mm; rotation: −180° to 180°. Keep artwork within the base and inspect text overlap.
• Decorate text to STL letter dots with the font original, circle, star, heart, paw or custom silhouette. This requires separate i/j dot outlines. Paw/custom scale: 0.5–5. Custom dots use a separate uploaded image and the text appearance.
• Text to STL tracing uses up to 96 × 96 samples, simplifying fine details. SVG supports paths and basic shapes; text, scripts and external resources are removed. Use permitted assets. Reselect the source file to reprocess after reloading.

6. Color and Material Preview

Text to STL preview colors can be set for the base, text, individual border contours and artwork regions. Artwork starts with its traced colors; override them with colors or hex values.

PLA matte, PETG gloss and Metal look change lighting, not strength or printer materials. Your text to STL download is one uncolored model, without material assignments or multi-material 3MF data.

Text to STL Examples: Three Designs to Try

A Two-Line Desk Nameplate

For a text to STL nameplate, choose Nameplate. Enter a name and subtitle on separate lines. Try sizes of 18, 12 mm, centered alignment, raised lettering and an automatic rounded base. Widen margins near corners; check the finished width against your shelf.

A Personalized Name Keychain

Start a text to STL keychain with Keychain and a short name. Try a 5 mm hole and 2 mm wall, checking fit against your actual ring and printer. Keep the tab clear of lettering; regenerate and inspect before export.

An Engraved Storage Label

For an engraved text to STL label, choose a rectangular base and Engraved recess. A 2.4 mm base with a 1 mm recess leaves 1.4 mm underneath. Use manual dimensions for fixed-width labels, leaving margins and readable strokes.

These are setup examples, not print-tested profiles. Font and wording affect dimensions; validate the model and slicer preview.

Exporting Text to STL for 3D Printing

Text to STL models must fit within 300 × 200 × 50 mm. Check dimensions, connected parts and warnings. A closed mesh can still contain separate letters or islands; add a base or bridges for one connected piece.

Before printing a text to STL file, check millimeter scale, bed fit, thin strokes, holes and unsupported details in your slicer. Use a flat face on the bed where appropriate. Match nozzle, layer height and material to your printer; a closed mesh alone does not guarantee a successful print.

For raised lettering, changing filament above the base may produce two colors. Text to STL preview colors are not exported; flush inlay does not supply separate inserts or material-ready files.

Text to STL FAQ