USE CASES
What are you making?
3D printing guides by use case
Pick what you want to make and we will show which process and material fit, what to watch for in the design, and roughly what it costs.
- Use cases
- 8
- Print methods
- 3
- Design tips
- 33
Ready to print in 3 steps
- Pick what you are making01
- See the recommended method & material02
- Upload your file for an instant quote03
Guides by use case
- FDM
- SLA
- DLP
Figures & Miniatures
Faces, fingers and fine detail matter most. Resin DLP/SLA recommended
- Example size
- 50×50×100mm
- Recommended material
- Standard resin (grey / white)
- Design checklist
- 4 design tips
Electronics Enclosures
PCB and Arduino cases, product housing prototypes. FDM PETG/ABS recommended
- Example size
- 100×80×40mm
- Recommended material
- PETG
- Design checklist
- 5 design tips
Jigs & Fixtures
Assembly and inspection jigs, drill guides. FDM is faster and cheaper than machining
- Example size
- 120×80×30mm
- Recommended material
- PETG
- Design checklist
- 4 design tips
Replacement Parts
Recreate broken or discontinued plastic parts. No file? We model it first
- Example size
- 40×30×20mm
- Recommended material
- PETG / ABS
- Design checklist
- 4 design tips
Architectural Models
Thesis, competition and massing models. Scale and minimum thickness matter
- Example size
- 200×150×80mm
- Recommended material
- PLA (white / grey)
- Design checklist
- 4 design tips
Cosplay Props
Weapons, helmets, accessories. Big and light, printed in parts and assembled
- Example size
- 250×120×60mm
- Recommended material
- PLA
- Design checklist
- 4 design tips
Logos & Signage
3D logos, nameplates and store signs. You can start from just an image
- Example size
- 200×60×10mm
- Recommended material
- PLA (colors)
- Design checklist
- 4 design tips
Trophies & Awards
Custom trophies for events and company awards. Smooth SLA resin recommended
- Example size
- 80×80×150mm
- Recommended material
- Standard resin
- Design checklist
- 4 design tips
Print methods at a glance
General tendencies on a 5-point scale. Real results depend on geometry, size and material.
FDM
6 recommendedMelts and stacks filament. The most economical way to make large, sturdy functional parts.
- Detail
- 2/5
- Strength
- 4/5
- Large parts
- 5/5
- Cost efficiency
- 5/5
SLA
1 recommendedCures resin with a laser. Smooth surfaces and fine detail, good for mid-to-large resin parts.
- Detail
- 5/5
- Strength
- 3/5
- Large parts
- 3/5
- Cost efficiency
- 3/5
Recommended for
DLP
1 recommendedCures resin a layer at a time with a projector. Fast, crisp results for small precise models.
- Detail
- 5/5
- Strength
- 3/5
- Large parts
- 2/5
- Cost efficiency
- 4/5
Recommended for
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Real Output
Real 3D printing work by WOW3D
Parts we printed in-house on FDM, SLA and DLP machines. See more in the print gallery.
Scale model car tires
DLP · Flexible resin
Bottle cap prototype
DLP · White resin
Arduino product enclosure
FDM · PLA
Clear bottle prototype
DLP · Clear resin