--- title: "Text to STL" description: "Convert text to STL online: turn letters and short phrases into 3D printable solid text. Adjust font, extrusion, and bevel. Watertight mesh generated in your browser, no upload." toolId: "text-to-stl" category: "conversion" subgroup: "model-generation" subgroupName: "Text to 3D Model" url: "https://any3d.cc/en-US/tools/text-to-stl" markdown: "https://any3d.cc/llm/tools/text-to-stl.md" --- # Text to STL Turn text into printable STL 3D letters, compatible with Cura, PrusaSlicer, Bambu Studio. **Category:** 3D Format Conversion Tools (`conversion`) **Subgroup:** Text to 3D Model (`model-generation`) **HTML:** https://any3d.cc/en-US/tools/text-to-stl > Runs entirely in the browser. Files are not uploaded to Any3D servers. ## Overview Generate watertight STL solid text that opens cleanly in any slicer. The built-in base plate anchors free-standing strokes so thin parts stay in place, and bold fonts print more reliably. Ideal for nameplates, signs, and dimensional lettering. ## Tips - STL has the widest printer compatibility - Turn on the base plate for a sturdier print - Prefer bold fonts; bundled fonts cover Latin characters only ## About Configuration Options ### Text Input - **Text** (Default: Any3D.cc): The text content to convert into a 3D model. Multi-line text is supported. - **Font** (Default: Oswald (Display Bold)): The typeface used to generate the 3D text geometry. Different fonts produce different stroke widths and character shapes. - `oswald_bold` — Oswald (Display Bold) (Recommended): Condensed display sans with strong strokes, good for titles and 3D printing. - `inter_bold` — Inter (Modern Sans): Neutral modern sans for readable body text and UI-like labels. - `cinzel_bold` — Cinzel (Classic Serif): Classic serif for premium badges, plaques, and heritage labels. - `robotomono_regular` — Roboto Mono (Engineering): Monospace for dimensions, SKUs, and technical callouts. - `notosans_sc` — Noto Sans SC (CJK): Sans covering Simplified Chinese, Japanese, and Korean glyphs. - `notosans_arabic` — Noto Sans Arabic: Sans covering Arabic script with print-ready stroke weight. ### Size & Ratio - **Width (X)** (Default: 30; Range: 5 – 100): The overall width of the text geometry in millimeters. - **Height (Y)** (Default: 6; Range: 2 – 50): The overall height of the text geometry in millimeters. - **Depth (Z)** (Default: 3; Range: 0.5 – 20 · step 0.5): The extrusion depth of the text in millimeters. Controls how far the text extends outward. - **Uniform Size**: Lock all three dimensions to scale proportionally, preserving the aspect ratio. - **Lock Ratio** (Default: On): Keep the width-to-height ratio fixed when resizing. - `on` — On (Recommended) - `off` — Off ### Orientation - **Orientation** (Default: Upright): Choose whether the text stands upright or lies flat for 3D printing. - `standing` — Upright (Recommended): Text extends upward from the build plate. Best for nameplates and signs. - `lying` — Flat: Text geometry lies flat. Useful for inlay designs and flat badges. ### Position Offset - **Offset X** (Default: 0; Range: -50 – 50 · step 0.5): Move the text geometry left or right on the X axis. - **Offset Y** (Default: 0; Range: -20 – 50 · step 0.5): Move the text geometry up or down on the Y axis. - **Offset Z** (Default: 0; Range: -20 – 20 · step 0.5): Move the text geometry forward or backward on the Z axis. ### Bevel - **Bevel Thickness** (Default: 0.5; Range: 0 – 3 · step 0.1): Controls how much the edges of the text are rounded. Adds a polished look but increases face count. - **Bevel Segments** (Default: 3; Range: 1 – 8): The number of segments used to create the bevel curve. More segments produce smoother bevels at the cost of more geometry. ### Base Plate - **Base Height** (Default: 2; Range: 0.5 – 20 · step 0.5): The thickness of the base plate beneath the text. A thicker base provides more stability and keeps letters attached. - **Base Padding Width** (Default: 2; Range: 0 – 20 · step 0.5): Extra horizontal margin around the text on the base plate. - **Base Padding Depth** (Default: 2; Range: 0 – 20 · step 0.5): Extra vertical margin around the text on the base plate. - **Base Bevel** (Default: Off): Whether to round the edges of the base plate. - `off` — Off (Recommended) - `on` — On - **Base Bevel Radius** (Default: 0.3; Range: 0.1 – 3 · step 0.1): The radius of the base plate corner rounding. - **Base Bevel Segments** (Default: 2; Range: 1 – 8): The number of segments for the base plate bevel curve. ### Colors - **Text Color** (Default: #3b82f6): The color of the extruded text geometry. For 3MF and GLB, this color is preserved in the output file. - **Base Color** (Default: #9ca3af): The color of the base plate. Only preserved in 3MF and GLB output formats. ## Format Information ### Output format - **Extension:** stl - **Full Name:** Stereolithography - **Type:** 3D Mesh - **Format:** STL (Binary / ASCII) - **Tools:** [Cura](https://ultimaker.com/software/ultimaker-cura), [PrusaSlicer](https://www.prusa3d.com/prusaslicer/), [Chitubox](https://www.chitubox.com), [Simplify3D](https://www.simplify3d.com) - **Open With:** Slicer Software, [MeshLab](https://www.meshlab.net), Windows 3D Viewer, [STL Viewer Online](https://any3d.cc/en-US/tools/stl-viewer) - **Description:** STL is the de facto standard mesh format in 3D printing, storing only triangular surface data since 1987, without color, texture, or material. Almost all slicers (Cura, PrusaSlicer, Bambu Studio, ChiTuBox) and printers directly support STL, ensuring its enduring popularity. Two classic pitfalls: STL lacks unit definitions, making millimeters and inches indistinguishable on disk; always verify scale in your slicer. It also has ASCII (readable but 4-6x larger) and binary (compact, default) encodings. For multi-color printing, materials, or parameters, switch to 3MF, which carries richer print information while maintaining slicer compatibility. - **Supported Features:** - Triangle mesh only, simple and universally compatible - Binary and ASCII encoding options - Directly importable into Cura, PrusaSlicer, Chitubox, etc. - **Notes:** - Does not support colors, textures or materials - No unit definition; verify scale in your slicer - ASCII format is 4-6× larger than binary ## How to use ### 1. Enter Your Text Type the text you want to turn into a 3D model. Multi-line input is supported. ### 2. Customize the Geometry Choose a font, adjust size, extrusion depth, bevel and an optional base. Colors preview live. ### 3. Download STL Download your STL single-file model ready to use. ## FAQ ### Why is STL the go-to format for 3D printing text? STL is the most widely supported format in slicing software. This tool exports a watertight mesh, so you can hand it straight to Cura, PrusaSlicer, or Bambu Studio without repair or conversion. ### How do I make 3D letters print more reliably? Use a bold font, enable the base plate, set a moderate bevel, and choose enough extrusion depth. These settings keep thin strokes and small letters firmly attached to the base plate, reducing the chance of peeling or breaking during printing. ### Are the letters and base plate a single piece? Yes. The text and base plate are exported as one connected watertight mesh, with every stroke attached to the base plate. That makes the model easy to slice and print as a single object. ### Can I use a font from my computer when making text-to-STL models? No. Only six bundled Latin fonts are available (Helvetiker, Gentilis, and Optimer in regular and bold). There is no system font picker and no custom font upload. Characters outside the selected font, including CJK glyphs, are skipped. ### Are curved letters smooth in the exported STL? STL stores surfaces as flat triangles, so curves are approximated by segments. Letter outlines are generated with smooth curve tessellation, which looks clean at typical print sizes. The bevel segments control (1-8) sets the rounded-edge smoothness: more segments give smoother bevels but larger files. ### How small can text be and still print clearly? There is no fixed minimum, but legibility depends on stroke width compared to your nozzle. With a 0.4 mm nozzle, strokes below roughly 0.8-1 mm tend to fail. Pick a bold font and keep the letter height at least a few millimeters for crisp small text. ### Is Any3D completely free? Yes, Any3D's core features are free to use forever. We provide format conversion, model optimization, and online preview at no cost, with no registration required. ### Are my files uploaded to your servers? No. Files you select are processed only in your browser on this device, so they never leave your device and are never sent to our servers. We don't store any user files; after processing, related data in browser memory is released. ### Do I need to install software? No installation required. Any3D is entirely browser-based; just open the webpage to use all features. It works on Windows, Mac, Linux, and other major operating systems. ### Is there a file size limit? The processing capacity depends on your device performance and the model's vertex count and texture complexity, rather than file size alone. We impose no file size limit, but when a model exceeds what your device can handle, the page may lag or even crash.