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Welcome to MakeIt!

We provide 3D printing services in Kigali, Rwanda. It is a work in progress. Please be patient as we build out the platform.

What is 3D printing?

3D printing is a process of creating three-dimensional objects from a digital model by adding material, usually plastic, layer by layer from bottom to top. Millions of model files are available for download on the internet for a wide range of purposes, from art to engineering to toys.

For inspiration, feel free to browse these various resources:

• MakerWorld
• Printables
• Thingiverse
• Cults3D

Getting Started

To begin, after registration, create a new project from the dashboard and upload your 3D model file (STL or 3MF format).

You can then assign filaments to the materials in your model and view a preview of the print.

Filament Selection

Besides the obvious importance of the color of the filament, the material type and price are also important factors to consider when selecting a filament. There is a wide variety of filament materials available, but the most common ones we use are PLA, PETG and TPU.

• PLA is the most commonly used filament type and is easy to handle and provides good general quality, but can be brittle and will fade in sunlight.
• PETG is stronger, food-safe, suitable for outdoor use, but is more expensive and requires special handling.
• TPU is durable, soft and flexible, but more expensive.

About multi-color printing

Multi-color printing is a process of printing a model with different colors. It is a more complex process since the machine needs to switch between filaments on every color change on each layer consuming time and filament on every change. While we support this, please be aware that if the models are not optimized for multi-color printing, the number of filament swaps can be very high - this will be indicated during the preview process.

Also, we can currently only print up to 4 colors at a time, i.e. for a single object. Multiple objects in a same file can have different colors when printed separately, but each one can only have up to 4 colors.

Limitations to keep in mind

We are currently limited to the size of the print bed of the printer we are using. This is 180x180x180mm. If your model is too large, we will not be able to print it. Multiple objects in a same file can be printed separately, but each one needs to fit in this volume. The preview can display the build volume for reference

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What file formats are supported and how do they differ?

A: We currently support STL and 3MF file formats. STL is a simple file format for 3D models, while 3MF is a more complex format that supports more features such as multiple materials and colors, so tends to be preferred when available.

Q: What kind of print quality can I expect?

A: We use a high-quality Bambulab printer with various print quality settings (such as layer height down to 0.08mm and print heads of 0.2mm or 0.4mm). Feel free to check out our gallery in our home page to get an idea of the results we can achieve.

Q: How is pricing calculated?

A: Pricing is primarily based on the estimated weight of the filament used for each part, as well as the printing time.

Q: Why did my price change after review?

A: The 3D printing process includes a fair amount of manual configuration and optimization that can affect the final price and cannot be reliably simulated in the preview, such as whether supports are required, how many printing plates will be required, as well as figuring out the best positioning / placement of the object on the print bed. The variations should be minimal, and will be explained in the project notes.

Q: What are supports?

A: If your 3D model includes significant overhangs, supports are required to ensure the model prints correctly. These are additional structures that the printer will produce to support the overhanging parts of the model, and will have some impact on filament quantity, time, processing (since they will need to be manually removed carefully) as well as the final object quality, since they may leave marks on the surface of the printed object after they are removed. They generally need to be avoided, but complex models may require them.

Q: The colors are all weird! What's going on?

A: Color encoding in 3D models is not well standardized, so colors may appear differently in different software. We do our best to make colors look as intended, but sometimes it may not be perfect. Single-color models should be no problem, but multi-colored models may not look as intended in the preview. If that happens, you can still reach out to us and we'll do our best to help.

Q: I need some tweaks to my model, can you help?

A: 3D modelling is a complex affair and model updates cannot be done directly in the platform. For simple tweaks such as scaling/resizing, or ignoring/deleting some objects, you can indicate this in the project notes. For more complex changes, feel free to reach out through the contact options and we can try to help.