How 3D printed molds work: print, then cast
The core idea: you print a rigid mold to cast in, or a form for silicone or plaster — then cast. How each path works.
Read guide →Print it, cast it, make it — practical guides for 3D printing and casting.
Learn how to turn a 3D printer into a mold-making and casting workshop: silicone and two-part molds, resin and concrete casting, cookie cutters, lithophanes and more. Every guide pairs with a free browser-based generator — no CAD, no sign-up, and your files never leave your device.
Start here: how 3D printed molds and casting actually work.
The core idea: you print a rigid mold to cast in, or a form for silicone or plaster — then cast. How each path works.
Read guide →Compare a silicone box mold, a two-part printed mold and a plaster slip-casting mold — and pick the right one for your material.
Read guide →STL is the universal standard; 3MF adds units, color and print settings. Which to use, and what 3DGEN exports.
Read guide →Skip the modeling software: turn text, photos and shapes into print-ready STL files with free browser generators.
Read guide →Resin, concrete, plaster and wax — what to cast and how.
Print the mold, pour silicone to make a flexible mold, then cast concrete in it — with drainage, curing and sealing.
Read guide →Choose a resin, make a silicone mold, mix and pour safely, clear the bubbles, and demold — a clear beginner walkthrough.
Read guide →Make a two-part mold from an STL, choose a heat-tolerant filament, center the wick, and pour wax at the right temperature.
Read guide →Print the form, pour plaster to make the mold, then cast liquid clay slip into it — a clear ceramics workflow.
Read guide →Choose a rigid tray or a silicone-master mold, make a grid of cavities, and pour melt-and-pour or cold-process soap.
Read guide →When you need a release agent, when silicone molds don't, which type for resin, concrete or wax, and how to apply it.
Read guide →Silicone flexes and reuses, plaster is rigid and absorbent for slip-casting, wax is the lost-wax pattern — how to pick for your cast.
Read guide →Print a master and pour food-grade silicone for a flexible, food-safe ice tray — plus the rigid-tray route and its caveats.
Read guide →Build a grid of cavities, choose PETG or silicone for hot wax, then pour and pop out wax melts or recycled crayons.
Read guide →Step-by-step builds: molds, cutters, lithophanes, keychains and more.
Print a split, dovetailed box, pour silicone around your master, then open it and reuse the box for the next mold.
Read guide →Pick a filament, dial in watertight slicer settings, print smooth inner walls, and leak-test before you pour silicone.
Read guide →Upload a silhouette or SVG, trace the outline, tune size and blade, and export a print-ready STL.
Read guide →Design a shape, set a thin sharp blade and small size, and print crisp cutters for clay, earrings and jewelry.
Read guide →Upload a photo, tune contrast and thickness, print it in white PLA, then backlight it to reveal the image.
Read guide →Turn text, a logo or a photo into a printable stamp with a handle — for clay, dough, soap, ink or wax seals.
Read guide →Print a faux stained-glass lead frame with open windows, fill them with colored resin, cure, and hang it in a window.
Read guide →Type a name, pick a font and style, set size, relief and colors, then export a print-ready STL and print it.
Read guide →Type your name, choose raised or engraved text, a plate and a mount, then export a print-ready STL and print it.
Read guide →Pick or upload a pattern, set the size, density and depth, add an axle bore and optional handle, then export a seamless texture roller.
Read guide →Size it for your pet, add their name and texture, print it — with honest food-and-water notes and a metal-bowl option.
Read guide →Measure your metal bowl, set the fit clearance and height, add a name, and print a stable stand — the metal bowl holds the food.
Read guide →Slicer settings, file formats and turning images into printable models.
Blade height, wall thickness, layer height, material and orientation — dialed in so your cutter cuts clean and lasts.
Read guide →Turn a flat vector into a printable 3D model: what the conversion does, how to prep a clean SVG, and how to export an STL.
Read guide →Two ways to go from image to 3D: brightness to height for a lithophane, or trace the outline and extrude for a cutter or stamp.
Read guide →Layer height, infill, orientation, speed and filament — the slicer settings that turn a grey plate into a sharp backlit image.
Read guide →PLA for silicone and plaster forms, PETG or ASA for hot pours like wax — how finish, heat and release decide which filament to use.
Read guide →Wall count, 100% infill, flow and temperature that fuse the layers, plus a leak test and when to seal — so your mold holds liquid.
Read guide →Why casts stick in rigid molds, how much taper to add, where to put the parting line — and when flexible silicone saves you.
Read guide →Fix common problems and get clean, safe results.
An honest look: low-risk with care, but not certified food safe. How to use, clean and print cutters safely.
Read guide →How registration keys line up the halves, where to place the seam and pour spout, and the fit clearance that makes it all seat cleanly.
Read guide →Wait for a full cure, flex silicone molds instead of pulling, open rigid molds along the seam — and tricks for a cast that won't budge.
Read guide →Trim the fin, file it flush, wet-sand up the grits and polish — by material — plus how to leave less flashing to clean up next time.
Read guide →Set a percent or exact mm in your slicer with the aspect lock on, avoid distorting holes, and watch detail and shrinkage.
Read guide →Cure inhibition from sulfur clay, latex, superglue or a printed master — plus bad ratio or cold — and how to fix and prevent it.
Read guide →Wrong water ratio, old or damp plaster, rushed drying or thin walls — diagnose each symptom and mix and dry plaster the right way.
Read guide →Bubbles, sticky resin, cracks, leaks, stuck casts and seams — a quick table of likely causes and fixes, with links to deeper guides.
Read guide →All 3DGEN tools run free in your browser — pick one and start.
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