Answers to the questions people actually ask about PrintSlice. Can't find yours? Get in touch.
It takes a 3D model (STL file) that's too big to fit your printer's bed, splits it into pieces that do fit, and automatically generates connectors — pins, keys, or dovetails — on the seams so the printed pieces snap together into the original shape after printing.
STL files (both binary and ASCII) for input, and binary STL for the split output pieces — the standard format every slicer accepts.
No. The splitting, connector generation, and 3D preview all run entirely in your browser — your STL file never leaves your computer or gets sent anywhere. This also means larger files process instantly with no upload wait.
Yes — every connector pair (the male tab and the female socket) is generated from one shared definition using real solid geometry, with a small configurable clearance (default 0.2 mm) built in, so they fit snugly without needing sanding or manual adjustment.
Rectangular key (a simple straight tab and socket), Pin & socket (a round peg), and Dovetail (a locking, wedge-shaped joint that resists pulling apart). You can mix types across a model, though placing very different connector types extremely close together on the same seam can occasionally leave a rough edge — spacing them out a bit avoids that.
Yes — click any placed connector in a part's preview to edit its type, size, depth, and clearance individually, or set the defaults before placing new ones.
PrintSlice checks that a connector is actually printable before placing it — it'll reject a spot if the connector would be too big for the part, deep enough to poke through the other side, or the surface there is too thin. Try a nearby spot with flatter, thicker material, or reduce the connector's size/depth.
If a connector places but comes out visibly wrong (a rounded or tapered surface not fully cut, for example), we'd genuinely like to see it — share the STL file and what went wrong in our Community or via the contact page and we'll dig into it.
This is almost always down to how detailed the model is — the "Triangles" count shown after loading a file is a good indicator. A model with hundreds of thousands of triangles can take a lot longer to compute a connector than one with a few thousand, since PrintSlice works directly with the real geometry at that spot.
Above 50,000 triangles, PrintSlice offers a simplified copy to work on: you can preview it before you use it, and the file on your disk is never changed. Running the model through a mesh-simplification tool first (e.g. Blender's Decimate modifier) works too — often with no visible difference in the printed part.
Any of them — the exported pieces are standard STL files, so they work with Cura, PrusaSlicer, Bambu Studio, or whatever slicer/printer you already use.
No special settings are required, but printing connector-bearing faces flat on the bed (rather than overhanging) generally gives the cleanest, most accurate fit.
Yes. You can upload, split and preview your models straight away, with no account and no card. Your first model is free to download too: just create a free account, no card needed.
To download more models, start a 7-day free trial: a card is needed for that, but you're not charged until the 7 days are up, and you can cancel anytime before then. After that it's a single £3.99/month plan. Open the app to try it, or reach out via the contact page if you're unsure it's for you.
Log in, and use the Manage billing button in the app's sidebar — that opens Stripe's billing portal where you can cancel or update your payment method directly, no need to contact support.
Check your spam folder first. If it's genuinely missing, contact us with the email address you signed up with and we'll sort it out.
This is rare, but if it happens: log out and back in once (this refreshes your account status), and if it's still locked after a minute or two, contact us — we'll check your payment and fix it manually.
See 3D printer bed sizes for the build volume of popular printers and the largest piece PrintSlice makes for each. There are step-by-step guides for 15 printers, including the Bambu Lab A1 mini, P1S, Creality Ender 3, K1C, Prusa MK4 and Elegoo Centauri Carbon; the bed sizes page links to all of them.