Turn text into paths
Live text gets skipped on import, because the font isn't in the file. In Inkscape use Path > Object to Path, in Illustrator Type > Create Outlines. Figma's SVG export has an Outline Text option, so leave it on.
SVG to STL, shaped for what you're making
Attach your SVG and say what it should become. A business card, a keychain and a cookie cutter need different thickness, walls and holes, even from the same drawing.
3 free generations, no credit card. Downloads need a pack from US$12 or a plan.
How to turn an SVG into an STL here
- 1
Drop in your SVG
A logo, an icon, a silhouette or a Cricut design. It stays in your browser until you sign up and send.
- 2
Say what it should become
A few words are enough, like "make a business card with this logo engraved". The designer picks sensible sizes or asks you.
- 3
Check it in 3D, then download
Turn the model around, ask for changes in plain words and download the STL or 3MF when it's right.
Why an SVG can't just be converted to STL
An SVG is a flat drawing: paths and fill colours with no depth. An STL is a closed shell of triangles a slicer can fill. Getting from one to the other means somebody has to decide how thick the part is, which shapes stand proud, which get cut through and how big it all ends up.
A one-click SVG to STL converter decides by pushing every shape up to the same height. That's fine for a plain silhouette. It's no good for a cookie cutter (a thin wall around the outline, not a solid slab), a keychain (it needs a hole nobody drew) or a stamp (it has to be mirrored or it prints backwards).
What to say in your message
Saying what it is will do: a business card, a coaster, a stencil. Add any of these if they matter to you.
- How big it ends up: "50 mm wide" beats whatever units the file was saved in
- How thick it is, and how far the details rise or sink
- What the drawing leaves out: ring holes, screw holes, magnet pockets, a handle, a backing plate
- How you print it: one colour or several, and your nozzle if it isn't 0.4 mm
Getting an SVG ready for 3D printing
Most SVGs work as they are. These four things cause nearly all the trouble, whichever tool you use.
Watch for pictures in an SVG wrapper
Some SVGs are only a PNG inside an SVG file, with no outlines to follow. If yours came from a free clipart site, open it in Inkscape and retrace it with Path > Trace Bitmap.
Check thin lines against your nozzle
A 0.4 mm nozzle can't lay down a 0.2 mm line, and a detail that looks fine at 200 mm wide disappears at 40 mm. Aim for 0.8 mm or wider at final size, or ask the designer to thicken the thin parts.
Outline-only drawings are fine
Paths with a stroke and no fill come in as lines. Say how wide each line should be printed and they become solid.
How to convert SVG to STL for free, by hand
If your SVG only needs one height, you don't need us. Any of these will do it, and all three are free.
SVG to STL in Tinkercad
Free, in the browser, needs an account. The easiest of the three.
- Click Import and pick your SVG.
- Set the size in the import dialog.
- Type a height for the shape on the workplane.
- Click Export and choose .STL.
SVG to STL in Blender
Free and much more capable, with a real learning curve.
- File > Import > Scalable Vector Graphics (.svg).
- Scale it up to real size and apply the scale. It comes in very small.
- Set Extrude under Geometry in the curve's data tab.
- Convert to mesh with Object > Convert > Mesh, join the parts, then File > Export > STL.
SVG to STL in OpenSCAD
Free and scripted. Handy if you're converting a lot of files.
linear_extrude(height = 3)
import("logo.svg");- Save the two lines above next to your SVG.
- Press F6 to render.
- Press F7 to export the STL.
Online converter, CAD app or GrandpaCAD?
They do different jobs. Pick by what your SVG has to turn into.
 GrandpaCAD | Online converters | Tinkercad, Blender | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you get | The part you described | The drawing at one height | Whatever you build by hand |
| Holes, handles, backing plates | Say so in the message | No | Model them yourself |
| Change it later | One sentence | Convert again | Back into the editor |
| Skill needed | None | None | Some to a lot |
| Price | 3 free generations, downloads from US$12 | Free | Free |
2,000+ people making real prints
Unedited feedback from the in-app rating prompt. We only show country to keep makers anonymous.
"generated a printable design on the first try!"
"Fast easy and good quality"
"It's working good. Grandpa!"
"yay so fun"
Pulled from real CSAT survey responses inside the GrandpaCAD app.
SVG to STL questions
Is this a free SVG to STL converter?
Partly, and I'd rather say so up front. Your first 3 generations are free with no credit card, so you can see your SVG built and turn it around in the 3D viewer. Downloading the STL needs a pack from US$12 or a plan. If you only want a flat extrusion at one height and don't want to pay, Tinkercad and OpenSCAD do that for free, and the steps are on this page.
Why do I have to say what I want?
Because an SVG is flat and says nothing about thickness, size or purpose. The same drawing can be a business card with an engraved logo, a solid keychain or a thin-walled cookie cutter. A few words settle that, and they're the difference between a part you can use and a slab you have to fix in another program.
Does it keep the exact outlines of my SVG?
Yes. The shapes are imported from the file as curves and not redrawn from a picture of it, so the outlines match your drawing. You give the final width in millimetres and everything scales with it.
My SVG has text in it. Will that work?
Only if the text has been converted to paths. Live text gets skipped on import because the font isn't in the file. In Inkscape use Path > Object to Path, and in Illustrator use Type > Create Outlines. Or leave the text out of the SVG, tell the designer the words you want and it adds them to the model.
Can I download a 3MF instead of an STL?
Yes. You can download STL, 3MF, OBJ, GLB and GLTF. An STL is one colour and holds only geometry, so if your SVG has several fill colours and you print in multi-colour, ask for a 3MF.
Can I use a PNG or JPG logo?
Yes, attach it the same way. There are no vector outlines in a PNG, so the designer works from what it sees and the edges won't be as exact. If you have the SVG, use the SVG.
Can I change the model after it's built?
Yes. Tell it what to change in the same chat: 2 mm thicker, a bigger ring hole, rounder corners. Dimensions can also show up as sliders, and moving a slider doesn't use a generation.
Do I need CAD software or any 3D modeling experience?
No. It runs in the browser and you never touch a CAD program. The STL opens in Bambu Studio, PrusaSlicer, Orca and any other slicer.
Related guides and tools
- Image to 3D modelNo SVG? Start from a photo, a sketch or a PNG of the part.
- CAD for 3D printingPrecise printable parts from a description, with no drawing at all.
- Convert 3D filesFree browser converters between STL, 3MF, OBJ, GLB and more.
- Repair an STLFix holes and bad normals in an STL from another converter, free.
- Scale an STLCame out the wrong size? Rescale it in the browser, free.
Got the SVG?
Say what it's for.
3 free generations, no credit card. See your part in 3D before you pay anything.