If you've never commissioned a custom 3D design before, the process can feel mysterious. We do these jobs every week, and the same questions come up — usually too late, when scope has already shifted. Here's the list, before you send your first request.
1. What size, roughly?
"Fits in my palm" or "10 × 6 × 4 cm" both work. Specific dimensions are best, but a sense of scale is enough to start. Wildly oversized parts cost more to print — knowing scale up front lets us flag this early.
2. What's it for?
A coin holder for display vs a coin holder that gets thrown in a bag are different designs. The wall thickness, snap-fit tolerance, and infill all depend on how the object lives.
3. Does it need to fit something?
If the part connects to another object — a phone, a bolt, a bottle, an existing bracket — we need to know that exact size. The single biggest cause of design rework is "oh, it needs to fit the M8 bolt, not the M10." Save us both a round-trip.
4. Will you assemble it or do we?
Multi-part designs can print in one piece (slow, complex orientation) or as several pieces that snap or screw together (faster, but you assemble). Tell us which you'd prefer.
5. Do you want the source CAD?
Our default delivery is the STL. If you ever want to modify the design yourself later — change a dimension, add a feature — you'll want the parametric source file (usually Fusion 360 or OnShape). We charge a small additional fee for it because it represents the actual reusable IP.
6. How much does it cost if it goes wrong?
If you ship the part to a customer and there's a problem, what's the cost? An iPhone case that snaps in half is a sad email. A bracket holding up a tree branch in someone's yard that fails is a different conversation. The stakes shape how we'll engineer it.
7. Have you seen something similar?
One reference photo of "exactly the vibe" saves an hour of design back-and-forth.
Even if it's a different object, a similar finish, similar curve, or similar feel gives us a target. Pinterest links are perfect.
What to expect after you submit
You'll get a real reply within one business day. We'll either send a quote (price + how long), ask for a clarifying photo, or — occasionally — tell you we can't take the job on. We're picky about scope; we'd rather say no than do it badly.
Ready to send something over? Hop to our design service page. There's a form there that captures all seven questions above.