A while ago I mentioned that you could convert any of your SVG files into 3D printable formats that you could then print on a CoLiDo 3D Compact printer.

This blog post and video will explain how!

The first thing you will need to do is grab yourself an SVG file. If you have an electronic cutting machine then it is likely that you probably have a fair few by now.

The next thing is to visit http://www.tinkercad.com and sign up for a free account.

I have bulleted the following steps to condense the process and don’t forget, there is a video of this entire process at the end of this blog post if you think that it would be easier to watch it instead.

• Once you have that all set up then log in to Tinkercad and click on the button marked “Create New Project”.
• This will take you into the workspace.
• Now, click on “Import” at the top right of the screen.
• Click on “Choose A File”.
• Use the file browser to locate your SVG file and click Ok.
• When the settings box appears, choose “Art” (if appropriate) and then set the size to fit your 3D printer bed. I am using the CoLiDo 3D Compact printer so I set this to be 100mm x 100mm.
• Click on “Import”.
• This will now load your design into the workspace.
• Now, click on your design to select it.
• Click on the little white square in the centre of the design to activate the dimensions direct input tool.
• Click on the number bow and type in the depth that you want your object to have. PS, it works in millimetres.
• Now, click one of the white squares in the corner of your design and double check the measurements that you set earlier.
• Click on “Export” at the top right of the screen.
• Click on “STL”
• In the file browser that pops up, select where you want to save your design and then give your design a name.
• Click Save.

Congratulations! Your file is now ready to take into your 3D printer driver.

Whichever one you choose, you will still need to slice the design so if this is built in, like with the software that comes with the CoLiDo 3D Compact printer, then that’s great otherwise you will need to use an external slicing program to do this.

Ok, that’s it. The file is ready to print!

Seems like a lengthy process when written down however it took less than five minutes in all to get from SVG to print ready STL so, if you have a 3D printer and range of SVG files, it could be a cool new way of using them.

You can, of course, use the resulting print in any way you like. I have used them in the past to add to the backgrounds of various designs as shown here.

Even better is that this process works just as well with SVG files that contain words!

See, great innit!

Anyhoo, I hope that you enjoyed it and will share it with your crafty mates. I have more ideas in the pipeline so will share them when I get the opportunity.

In the meantime, many thanks for reading and I shall leave you to enjoy the short video showing this process from beginning to end.

Enjoy!

J :)

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