To print your original character on your home 3D printer, first make a 3D model from your drawing and save it in a 3D-printing format (3MF). Then set the size, orientation and supports in a slicer and convert it to G-code for your printer. With Figmee, you can generate the 3D model and save the 3MF entirely in your browser. Your first 3D model is free (one per account), and saving the 3MF doesn't cost any extra tokens.
This article explains how to prepare a drawing of an original character you hold the rights to for printing on a home 3D printer. Whether it prints, and how it turns out, depends on the model's shape, the material, and your printer and slicer settings. So this guide focuses on the steps from preparing your drawing to adjusting it in the slicer, and on what to check when things don't go well.
Note: Figmee currently lets you generate and download figurine-style images and 3D model data (GLB and 3MF) from your drawings and illustrations. Ordering physical 3D prints that Figmee prints and delivers is Coming Soon, and once it starts, delivery will be limited to Japan. This article covers how to prepare when you use a saved 3MF with your own 3D printer.
What Do You Need to Print on Your Home 3D Printer?
You need four things: your drawing, a Figmee account, slicer software that supports your printer, and a 3D printer with filament. Making the 3D model in Figmee doesn't require any 3D modeling software or knowledge. When you fix the shape for printing, you may use 3D software such as Blender.
| What you need | Details | Approx. time |
|---|---|---|
| Your drawing | A drawing of a character you drew yourself (PNG, JPEG or WebP, up to 20 MB per image). Drawings on paper can be used as a photo or scan | — |
| A Figmee account | Sign up with your email address or Google account | About 1 minute to sign up |
| Slicer software | Software that loads the 3MF and converts it into print instructions (G-code), such as Bambu Studio, PrusaSlicer, UltiMaker Cura or OrcaSlicer | 10–20 minutes, first time only |
| A 3D printer and filament | The ones you already have. This article assumes a home FDM printer (one that melts filament and builds the model up in layers) | — |
Note that Figmee can only turn drawings and digital illustrations into 3D, including scans or photos of your paper drawings. It can't generate 3D models from photos of real people, animals, objects or scenery, or from images that look like photos.
Step 1: Make a 3D Model from Your Drawing in Figmee (About 10 Minutes)
When you upload a drawing to Figmee, it first creates a figurine-style image, and from that you can generate a 3D model. If your goal is printing, keeping these two points in mind when you choose a drawing makes the later steps easier.
- Choose a drawing where the character faces forward, is drawn large, and has a clear outline. Very thin lines and small text may not be fully reproduced in 3D.
- Thin parts that stick out, such as hair tips, fingers and held items, become spots that break easily when printed. If you plan to print, a drawing with fewer thin decorations is easier to work with.
Once you've chosen a drawing, proceed in this order.
- Upload the drawing in the Figmee workspace and generate a figurine-style image (the free sign-up perk covers 5 generations at Standard quality, valid for 3 months from sign-up).
- Generate a 3D model from an image you like. Once it's done, you can spin it 360° in your browser to check it.
The on-screen steps are covered in How to Use Figmee, and how to choose a drawing in How to Turn an Illustration into 3D. For pricing, see "How Much Does It Cost from the Second Model On?" below.
Step 2: Save the 3D Print File (3MF) (About 1 Minute)
If you make a 3D model now, you can save it as both GLB and 3MF. The one you use for printing is the 3MF.
- From "Gallery" in the menu at the top of the screen, open "Works" and select the work with the generated 3D model.
- On the work page, select "Save".
- Choose "3D print file (3MF)". For works whose 3MF hasn't been prepared yet, it's created when you choose it, so it may take a moment before the download starts.
The 3MF that Figmee exports looks like this:
| Item | Figmee's 3MF |
|---|---|
| File | A single .3mf file containing the shape and color information |
| Size | The longest side is 80 mm. This isn't necessarily a good size for printing, so scale it up or down in your slicer |
| Orientation | Keeps the 3D model's top and bottom as they are, with its lowest point resting on the build plate. This isn't necessarily a good orientation for printing, and works made earlier may open lying on their side, so check it in your slicer |
| Color | Includes color (texture) information. How it's handled in printing is explained in "What Happens to the Color?" below |
| Number of saves | You can save as many times as you like from the same work page. It doesn't cost any extra tokens |
Use the GLB when you want to refine the shape in 3D software such as Blender. The differences between the two formats and what each is for are covered in detail in How to Convert GLB to 3MF and in the help article Downloading your 3D model (GLB, 3MF).
Step 3: Set Size, Orientation and Supports in Your Slicer (About 10–20 Minutes)
Load the saved 3MF into your slicer and decide things in this order: size → orientation → supports → print settings. If you're new to slicers, see also Preparing a 3MF File for Your Home 3D Printer, which explains what settings such as layer height and infill mean.
- Load it. Drag and drop the 3MF into your slicer, or load it via "Open" or "Import". The major slicers (PrusaSlicer, UltiMaker Cura, Bambu Studio and OrcaSlicer) all support 3MF.
- Decide the size. Check the height, width and depth (mm) as loaded, and scale it up or down to the size you want. Figmee's 3MF is created so that the longest side is 80 mm, but that isn't necessarily a good size for printing. Check that it fits within your printer's build volume and that the thin parts are still there after slicing. The smaller you make it, the more easily thin parts such as fingers and hair get squashed or break.
- Decide the orientation and how it sits on the plate. Look at how the model rests on the build plate. If it opens lying on its side, rotate it upright in the slicer, but an upright orientation isn't necessarily the best for printing. Check the contact surface and overhanging parts, and decide the orientation while also looking at how the supports attach. If the contact surface is small, also consider settings that help it stick to the build plate, such as a brim or raft.
- Check where supports are needed. Supports are helper structures that hold up overhanging parts and the like during printing; whether you need them depends on the model's shape and orientation and on your printer settings. Likely spots include under the arms and chin, hair tips and held items. Enable supports in your slicer as needed, and check how they attach in the preview after slicing. If you don't want marks on prominent areas such as the face, reconsider the orientation as well.
- Choose print settings and slice. Select settings that match your printer, nozzle diameter and filament, adjust the layer height, infill and wall thickness, and slice. Once you've checked in the preview how the model builds, along with the estimated time and material use, export the G-code or send it to your printer.
What Happens to the Color? How It Looks Printed with Single-Color Filament
Figmee's 3MF includes color (texture) information, but that alone doesn't mean it will print in the same colors as your original drawing. If you print with only one color of filament, the result will be that filament's color. There are three ways to add color:
- Print in a single color and finish it with paint. After printing, prepare the surface if needed, then paint it.
- Use a printer that supports multicolor printing and assign the colors in your slicer. How many colors you can use and how the colors are assigned vary by printer and slicer, and this doesn't reproduce the colors of your drawing as they are.
- Submit the 3MF to an outside print service that supports full color. This is an option if you want the output in color; you'll need to check the service's supported formats and minimum wall thickness. Differences between materials are covered in Best Materials for 3D Prints Based on Illustrations, and what to check before submitting in How to 3D Print an Illustration: Data, Thickness, and Material Basics.
How much of a 3MF's color information a slicer can display and use varies by software and version. Please also check your slicer's documentation.
4 Things to Check When Something Goes Wrong
If your slicer shows a warning or the print collapses partway through, check these four points in order.
| Symptom | What to check | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| It opens in an unintended orientation, such as lying on its side | Orientation and how it sits on the plate | Rotate it in the slicer and decide the orientation while looking at the contact surface and how the supports attach |
| It's extremely small or large | Units and size | Check that the units are mm and the dimensions are what you intended, then scale it again |
| A warning says the surfaces aren't closed | Holes in the mesh, flipped faces | Try the slicer's repair function. If that doesn't fix it, open the GLB in Blender and clean it up |
| Thin parts break or get squashed during printing | Thickness of the thin parts | Make the whole model larger, or open the GLB in Blender and thicken the thin parts |
How to open and clean up a GLB in Blender is explained in Prototype in Figmee, Refine in Blender and Blender Remesh and Texture Editing Basics.
How Much Does It Cost from the Second Model On?
Your first 3D model is free, and from the second one on, each model costs 5 tokens. You can buy 5 tokens for $5.99, and purchased tokens are valid for 3 months from your most recent purchase date. Generating a figurine-style image costs 1–3 tokens per generation (depending on the quality you choose), and the free sign-up perk covers 5 generations at Standard quality (valid for 3 months from sign-up). If a generation fails, the tokens used (or the free allowance, if that's what you used) are returned automatically, for both images and 3D models. Saving 3MF and GLB files doesn't cost any tokens. For the full pricing, see Figmee Pricing Explained.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can I save as STL? A. Figmee saves in two formats, GLB and 3MF; you can't save as STL. If you use software that only accepts STL, open the GLB in Blender and export it as STL. STL can't hold color information, so the color is lost in the conversion. The steps are in How to Convert GLB to STL.
Q. Can I print a drawing of a character from a work I love? A. This article assumes an original character you hold the rights to. Turning a character from someone else's work into a 3D object is, as a rule, an area that requires the rights holder's permission, so check how each work's fan-work guidelines treat 3D objects. For how to think about this, see Fan Art, 3D Models, and Copyright.
Q. Can I ask Figmee to print it for me? A. The service where Figmee prints and delivers your model is Coming Soon, and you can't order it yet. Once it starts, delivery will be limited to Japan. Please use your saved 3MF with your own 3D printer or with an outside print service that accepts 3MF.
Summary
Preparing your original character for your home 3D printer comes down to three stages: make a 3D model from your drawing in Figmee → save the 3MF → set the size, orientation and supports in your slicer and slice it. Figmee's 3MF has its longest side at 80 mm and includes color information. 3MF files made now are exported with the original 3D model's top and bottom preserved, but 3MF files created before October 25, 2026 may open lying on their side. These are the baselines set at export and aren't necessarily the right size or orientation for printing, so once you load the file, check the size, orientation, supports and thin parts. With single-color filament the result will be the filament's color, so plan the color through painting, multicolor printing or a print service that supports it. Results vary with the model's shape, your printer and your settings, so start with one model: check the thin parts and how the supports attach in the slicer preview, then try printing it.
Related Guides
- Preparing a 3MF File for Your Home 3D Printer: Slicer Setting Basics
- How to Convert GLB to 3MF: 3 Ways to Make Color-Ready 3D Print Files
- How to 3D Print an Illustration: Data, Thickness, and Material Basics
- Best Materials for 3D Prints Based on Illustrations: Color, Resin, and Size
- What Is a 3MF File? How It Differs from STL, Supported Software, and When to Use It
- How to Make an Original Figurine (2026 Guide): Clay vs. 3D Printing vs. AI Compared
