1. The University of Alabama Libraries
  2. Libraries Procedures and Guidelines
  3. 3D Printing Guidelines

3D Printing Guidelines

Users

  • The 3D printing services are available for use by all current University of Alabama faculty, staff, and students.

What May or May Not be 3D Printed

  • Users may 3D print any object for research and education with the following exceptions:
    • No weapons, weapon accessories, or weapon components;
    • No objects that resemble weapons or weapon accessories;
    • No illegal objects; and
    • No copyrighted objects or any other objects that violate patents and trademarks.
    • Items such as the UA Athletics script A, images of Big Al, characters from animated series, etc. may not be printed without written approval of the copyright holder.
    • To receive permission to print UA Athletics script A, images of Big Al, etc., please contact the UA Licensing Department.  
    • Items licensed under the Creative Commons mechanism may be printed if the use is authorized by the particular license.
    • Nothing may be printed for commercial purposes.
    • No objects may be printed that others might find offensive.

     

    Fees

    • 3D printing in Bruno and Gorgas costs – Small Prints: $3 dollars (30 grams or less) Medium Prints: $6 dollars (31 – 61) Large Prints: $11 dollars (61 – 120) Very Large Prints: customized pricing (grams X .09)
    • Rodgers Stratasys Printers: Small Prints: $5 dollars (30 grams or less), Medium Prints: $10 dollars (31g-61g), Large Prints: 20$ dollars (62g-120g), Very Large Prints: customized pricing (grams X .16) All print jobs will have a 8$ plate fee in addition to print cost.
    • If your design cannot be adequately printed in Bruno or Gorgas Libraries, you may be referred to the Cube, who have higher quality printers.
    • Fees are charged per print job, not per object.
    • Fees are paid in Bamacash or Departmental Transfer only and must be collected prior to print approval.
    • Refunds for failed print jobs will be based upon equipment failure. Refunds will not be given for failed print jobs caused by file errors.
    • Fees apply to all print jobs and all patrons; there are no education/academic waivers or discounts.

    Print Starting Times

    • Full-service printing is offered in Bruno, Gorgas, and Rodgers libraries.
    • 3D print jobs will be managed by staff (not students) and may be started anytime during normal library hours up to one hour prior to closing time for the respective library.
    • 3D printing is suspended whenever the University suspends normal operations.

    Length of Processing and Printing Time

    • The amount of time it takes to complete a print job varies greatly based on complexity and size of the object(s), current number of print jobs in the queue, and printer availability.
    • Print jobs are processed first-in-first-out basis.
    • In Bruno and Gorgas Libraries, print jobs may take up to 2 weeks to process during
      times of high demand. In Rodgers Library, print jobs may take up to 3 weeks to be
      completed, so please plan accordingly.

    Communication

    • A patron can expect to receive email communication to her/his official UA email account (ua.edu or crimson.edu) from the Libraries at least at the following points in the process: 
      1. Acknowledgement of original email containing the STL file;
      2. Notification of approval and need to come in to sign and pay;
      3. Notification of job completion or job fails.

        Busy Times

        • During times of high demand, print jobs may be filled at a different library in order to process print jobs in a timely manner.
        • In the event of a print job transfer, the patron will not need to intervene in this process.
        • Completed object(s) will be available for pickup at the circulation desk of the library to which the original job was submitted.

        File Formats

        • Only STL file format is accepted at all University Libraries 3D printing locations.

        Colors and Quality

        • At Bruno Library objects can be printed in choice of black, blue, grey, red, or white for ABS and black, blue, green, orange, red, white, or yellow for PLA.
        • At Gorgas Library objects can be printed in choice of black, blue, green, grey, red, or white for ABS and black, blue, green, orange, red, transparent, white, and yellow for PLA.
        • At Rodgers Library objects will be printed in white ABS plastic only.
        • 3D printed objects may have imperfections and may not appear exactly as they do in the screen image of the design. This can be due to issues such as errors with the STL files, extremely small or thin objects, or the nature of the plastic extruder that can make objects appear fuzzy.

        Submission Emails

        rev. 2/18/2025