How to get something 3D printed in Singapore

Where Makerlane is today

Makerlane is a 3D printing service in Singapore. As of 21 October 2026 you can see your print price at makerlane.sg, with no sign-up. Ordering opens soon. Sign up for the free beta. Invites go out in small batches.

Thing 1: a 3D file

A printer needs a 3D model, not a photo or a sketch. Makerlane takes STL, OBJ and 3MF files, up to 100 MB.

Make one in a CAD program, or download one and check its licence. When you order, you confirm that you own the design or have permission to have it printed. To sell or share the prints, the licence must allow that.

No file? Makerlane only prints what you upload or one of its own designs, so it does not design models to order. The Originals page has keychains and desk objects, designed by Makerlane.

Thing 2: a material, PLA or PETG

Makerlane prints in two plastics, PLA and PETG. PLA is easy, rigid and shows great detail, but it softens above about 55 °C. PETG is tougher and more heat resistant than PLA.

Simple test: will the part sit somewhere warm, like a sunny window, or take knocks? PETG usually copes better than PLA. Will it sit on a shelf, where detail matters most? Choose PLA. A car parked in the sun can get hot enough to soften either.

Thing 3: a size you have checked

Check the size before you upload. An STL file has no units, and most programs read its numbers as millimetres. A part drawn in centimetres can open 10 times too small, and one drawn in inches 25.4 times too small.

Measure the real thing and write down the one number that matters most, such as a hole width. For a replacement part, measure twice. After you upload, the page with your print price shows your model's size in millimetres. Compare it with your number. If it is wrong, change the size there before you lock your print price, up to 1000%. If it is 25.4 times too small, export it again in millimetres.

The biggest part Makerlane can print today fits a space 256 mm wide, deep and tall.

Other ways to get it printed

Makerlane is one way to get a print, not the only one.

Try your school's fab lab or makerspace. Ask your teacher or course team if there is one. It may print coursework only, and may need a booking or short training first.

Try a community makerspace. Members use the machines, often after a short safety session. Usually you run the printer yourself, so you learn a lot and deal with any failed print. Ask how to join.

Ask someone who owns a printer. A friend, classmate or hobby-group member may print a small part for you. Offer to cover the plastic, agree the material, colour and file type first, and do not count on a deadline.

Ask every place the same three things: the file types they take, the materials and colours they have, and the biggest part they can print. Ask what it will cost before anything starts.

Makerlane suits you if you want to see the print price before you commit and do not want to run a printer yourself. For another material or a bigger part, another place may suit you better.

What happens when you upload

Drop the file at makerlane.sg. Software checks it as you upload. If something will not print, you see why before you pay, with the fix.

Then you see your print price. Supports are in it. The print price you lock never goes up. You see the handling fee and delivery before you pay, and nothing is added after you pay.

Prints are not certified for safety-critical, medical or food-contact use.

Checklist before you upload

Your file is an STL, OBJ or 3MF under 100 MB. You own it or have permission. You picked PLA or PETG. You wrote down one measurement to check after upload.

File ready? See your print price in seconds at makerlane.sg.