How to 3D print building blocks at home
You can 3D print toy building blocks on an ordinary home printer. This is what prints well, how to get a snug fit, and where to get free print files for the bricks, plates and tiles of any building set.
What prints well, and what to buy
Most of a typical set is simple shapes. Plain bricks, plates, tiles, slopes and beams print well on a home printer. Clear parts, printed parts, rubber parts, figures and anything electronic are better bought. Brickalike sorts every part of a set into print or buy and gives you a shopping list for BrickLink.com, a big online shop for single bricks, for the rest.
For example, set 10698 (a large box of basic bricks) comes to 711 parts you can print and 79 to buy at the time of writing. The free ZIP holds 280 print files, sorted by colour.
How to do it, step by step
- Pick a set number or a model: type the number from the box on the set parts page, or scan an object with your phone camera and let Brickalike rebuild it from bricks.
- Print the fit test first: ten small plates marked 1 to 5 dots, free. Try each on a stud. Choose the number that clicks on firmly and still pulls off by hand, and every download is made to match.
- Download the print files: one ZIP of print files, free. Print one colour at a time.
- Buy what cannot be printed: upload the shopping list on BrickLink.com and order the clear, printed and rubber parts.
Tips for a better result
- Print one part and check the fit before you print a whole set.
- If the fit is loose, thin walls are the usual cause: raise the flow a little or choose a lower fit number.
- Sort by colour and print one colour at a time, so each plate is one filament.
Questions
Can you 3D print building blocks at home?
Yes. Plain bricks, plates, tiles, slopes and beams print well on an ordinary home printer. Clear, printed, rubber and electronic parts, and figures, are better bought. Brickalike sorts every part of a set into print or buy for you.
Will 3D printed bricks fit together like moulded ones?
They can, if the fit is right, but they will not grip exactly like moulded bricks. How firmly they hold depends on your printer and filament, so print the free fit test first: ten small plates marked 1 to 5 dots. Pick the number that clicks on firmly and still pulls off by hand.
What is an STL file?
An STL file is the 3D print file your slicer reads, one file per part. For each printable part of a set you get one, in a ZIP sorted by colour.
Is it free?
The parts list, a print file for every printable part and the shopping list for the rest are free (the downloads ask for a free, email-only account; Pro never needs one). Print-ready plates for a 256 mm bed or an A1 mini (180 mm) and the printing guide are part of Brickalike Pro, a one-off payment, not a subscription.
Try it free, save the files with ProMake your next one
The parts list, a print file for every printable part and the shopping list are free. Print-ready plates and the printing guide are part of Brickalike Pro, a one-off €11.99 with Payment is by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or bank transfer, checked by hand. Not a subscription. One Pro code works on up to 3 browsers at a time.
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