Services - 3D Printing | Mahwah Public Library

The Library’s 3D printer empowers residents to create three-dimensional objects in plastic. Download a cool object or design your own to get started today!

The Library offers 3D printing on a Bambu Lab X1 Carbon

Purchase of our 3D printer was made possible through generous support from the Friends of the Mahwah Library with a neighborhood grant from the Starbucks Foundation.

This is a staff-facilitated service and only staff have “hands-on” access to the 3D printer. Patrons can submit a 3D print object file (.stl or .3ML format only), for printing via the online form, below.

Staff will schedule prints in the order they are received but cannot guarantee the print will be completed same-day. The size and complexity of the print will increase the print-time. Larger prints may be scheduled for overnight printing, and prints taking more than 12 hours may be declined. We will contact you when your print is complete.

Cost is based on the final weight of your printed object. The cost is $.15/gram. Staff can provide an estimate before your print begins, but the final cost will be based on the actual weight of your item measured on a postal scale. Payment must be made at the Circulation Desk at the time of pick up.

Print priority is given to Mahwah cardholders, though any library guest can request a print, first-come, first-serve.

Getting Started

Finding a Design

Need a place to get started? Try one of these online communities of designers who have posted their 3D print designs, for free, on the Internet. Here are some popular sites to browse the Makerverse and find a 3D print object (.stl file):

Thingiverse: is one of the largest communities of makers, offering user-created 3D digital designs. Everything is free and everything is cool.

Printables: is another huge community site, with thousands of 3D designs to download for free.

Tinkercad: includes a community gallery of 3D objects made with Tinkercad software that are free to download.

Creality Cloud: is the showcase for Creality’s all-in-one 3D printing platform. Includes free and paid designs.

Design Your Own

It’s fun to download a cool toy or object, but you can also design your own 3D objects, using Computer Aided Design, or CAD, software. CAD software allows you to design and render objects as digital files to print. Here are some resources to check out that offer free CAD software you can download on your own devices or use on the web, then ask the Library to print: TinkerCad: a free, web-based software for designing 3D objects. You can also browse other users’ 3D objects, and copy or modify them for your own printing. Tutorials and handy tricks are available as well. SketchUp: offers both paid and free plans. The free, web-based version is available to students and educators. The paid version includes more robust features, including a desktop app. AutoCAD and SOLIDWORKS: are professional CAD software. AutoCAD is available free for school students and educators, as long as they can prove their education status. SOLIDWORKS offers a discount for students and educators.

Working With Color

If you would like an object printed in multiple colors, you must be comfortable using the Bambu Studio slicer software. Add up to four Bambu PLA Basic Filaments in Bambu Studio, and use the color picker to select your preferred colors. (Color availability is limited to those listed in the form, below.) Then “paint” your object by clicking on it, and then using the color painting tool. Remember to slice the plate and export your design in .3mf format. Tutorials are available on YouTube and staff can provide limited assistance with painting. Note that printing in multiple colors significantly increases both the print time and filament waste. The Library will not refund the cost of the print or reprint the object due to dissatisfaction with color, quality, design, or other advanced options selected by the user.

Working with Bambu Studio

Advanced users can download the Bambu Studio slicer and use it to slightly modify designs them before printing. Bambu Studio is not CAD software and editing functionality is limited to rotating or duplicating the object, defining areas to be printed in different colors, or adding text. Bambu Studio can also be used to set printing parameters such as quality, strength, support, and more. Tutorials are available on YouTube. However, we recommend using the default settings unless you have a specific reason to change them. After making changes to your design using Bambu Studio, slice the plate being careful to check and correct for any errors, then export the sliced plate in .3mf format for uploading. The Library will not refund the cost of the print or reprint the object due to dissatisfaction with color, quality, design, or other advanced options selected by the user.

Restrictions

The Library reserves the right to refuse the production of any content at any time, at the discretion of library staff. Examples of objects that may not be produced include, but are not limited to:

Objects that are too large for the 3D printer’s build-plate: 256mm x 256mm x 256mm (10″ x 10″ x 10″) and/or that will exceed the permissible printing time (~12 hours).
Prohibited by local, state or federal law.
Unsafe, harmful, dangerous, poses an immediate threat to the well-being of others, including weapons or parts thereof.
Obscene or otherwise inappropriate for the Library environment.
In violation of another’s intellectual property rights. (I.e., the 3D printers may not be used to reproduce material that is subject to copyright, patent or trademark protection.)

See the 3D Printing Policy for more information.