Jewellery Manufacturing
TECHNICAL GUIDE
CAD FILE FORMATS FOR JEWELLERY CASTING
STL is the format almost every jewellery manufacturer can work with — it's the universal input for 3D printing. If your file is in 3DM (Rhino), OBJ, or something else, it can usually be converted, but STL is the safest bet if you're choosing what to export.
STL: The Universal Standard
STL stores a design as a mesh of triangles — geometry only, no colour or material data. That simplicity is exactly why it's the standard input for 3D printing: virtually every printer and printing service accepts it without conversion. If you're only exporting one format to send to a manufacturer, this is it.
3DM: The Native Rhino Format
Rhino, often paired with jewellery-specific plugins, is one of the most widely used professional CAD tools in the industry — a lot of independent designers and JDMIS-trained designers work in it. A .3dm file preserves more of the original design structure than STL does, which is useful if the design needs further editing before it's ready to print.
OBJ: Less Common For Casting
OBJ is another mesh format, more associated with general 3D graphics and games than jewellery manufacturing specifically. It can carry colour and texture data, which is irrelevant once a design is cast in solid metal — workable, but not the first choice if you have an alternative.
A Few Things Worth Checking Before You Send Your File
- ► Make sure the mesh is watertight — gaps or holes in the geometry are one of the most common causes of a failed print
- ► Double-check scale and units — a file modelled in the wrong unit can print at 10x or 0.1x the size you actually intended
- ► If your design has multiple separate parts (a ring plus a separate setting, for example), let us know how they're meant to sit together
NOT SURE WHAT FORMAT YOU HAVE?
SEND IT TO US ANYWAY
We'll tell you if it needs converting and quote your design from there — no need to figure out the technical details yourself first.