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3DAI
Free · runs in your browser · no signup

3D Printable Box Generator

A box generator for 3D printing, not laser cutting: type the inside or outside size, set the walls and corners, pick a friction, inset or sliding lid, add dividers if you need them, and download print-ready STL files for the box and the lid. Free, in your browser, no signup.

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How to make a 3D printable box

  1. 1

    Set the size

    Type the inside size (what has to fit) or the outside size (where it has to fit), then the wall and floor thickness.

  2. 2

    Pick a lid

    Friction lid with a lip, flush inset lid, sliding lid in grooves, or no lid. Keep the clearance at 0.2-0.3 mm for PLA.

  3. 3

    Add dividers or a label

    Split the inside into a grid of compartments, add a shallow label recess on the front, or a stacking foot.

  4. 4

    Download and print

    Box STL and lid STL, or one plate STL with both side by side. Print without supports.

Which lid to pick

Friction lidA flat top with a lip that pushes into the box. Easiest to print and holds by friction. Printed top down, lip up.
Inset lidDrops onto a ledge inside the rim, so the top is flush. Has a finger hole to lift it. Needs a wall of 1.6 mm or more.
Sliding lidSlides in grooves in the side walls from one end and cannot fall off. Good for small parts and pencil boxes. Needs a wall of 1.6 mm or more.
No lidAn open tray or drawer organiser. Add dividers for screws, beads or cards.

Box generator settings

Every setting changes the preview right away. The numbers under the preview update with it.

Inner or outer sizeInner: the space inside, so what you store fits. Outer: the footprint, so the box fits a drawer or shelf. The other size is shown under the preview.
Wall thicknessUse a multiple of your line width: 1.2, 1.6 or 2 mm with a 0.4 mm nozzle. Inset and sliding lids need at least 1.6 mm, because half the wall holds the lid.
Floor thickness1.2 to 2 mm is stiff enough for most boxes. Use a whole number of layers.
Corner radiusRounds the vertical corners on the outside; the inside follows. 0 gives sharp corners; the largest value makes the short sides fully round.
Lid clearanceThe gap between the lid and the box on each side. 0.2-0.3 mm for PLA, 0.3-0.4 mm for PETG. Smaller is tighter.
CompartmentsA grid of equal compartments, for example 3 x 2. Dividers stop just under the lid.
Label recessA shallow pocket on the front for a sticker or a painted label. It needs a flat front, so keep the corner radius modest.
Stacking footThe bottom steps in so the box sits inside the rim of the same box below. Works with no lid, an inset lid or a sliding lid.

Print tips

Common starting points for an FDM printer with a 0.4 mm nozzle; your printer may need small changes.

Print orientationBox on its floor, open side up. Friction lid on its flat top with the lip pointing up. Inset and sliding lids flat.
SupportsNot needed. The sliding-lid groove leaves a short overhang of about half the wall, which prints fine.
Test the fitPrint a small box with the same walls and clearance first, then scale up. Every printer is a little different.
Infill10-20% is plenty; the walls and floor do the work. The filament number under the preview assumes 15%.

Want a custom shape, not a box?

Make a printable model from a photo or text with AI. The AI generators use credits; this box generator does not.

Image to STL →Turn a photo into a printable model with AI.Text to 3D →Describe an object and AI builds the 3D model.

More free tools: 3D print cost calculator (price the box from its filament and print time.) · STL viewer (open the downloaded STL and check it before slicing.)

Box generator FAQ

Start with 0.2 to 0.3 mm for PLA (the default is 0.25 mm). PETG is a little stickier and less exact, so use 0.3 to 0.4 mm. A well tuned printer can go down to 0.1 to 0.15 mm for a tight fit. If the lid is too tight, add 0.05 to 0.1 mm and print again; if it falls off, take some away.
Make the wall a multiple of your line width so the slicer fills it with whole lines: with a 0.4 mm nozzle that is 0.8, 1.2, 1.6 or 2 mm. 1.2 to 2 mm suits most boxes. Inset and sliding lids need at least 1.6 mm, because a ledge or groove of half the wall is cut into it to hold the lid.
Print the box standing on its floor with the open side up. The friction lid comes out top down, with the lip pointing up, so the visible top is the smooth first layer. Inset and sliding lids print flat. None of the parts need supports, and the plate STL already places the lid beside the box in that orientation.
A friction lid is the simplest and works on any wall thickness. An inset lid sits flush with the rim and lets boxes stack. A sliding lid runs in grooves from one end, so it cannot fall off, which is good for small parts. Pick no lid for open trays and drawer organisers.
No. Laser-cut box makers draw flat panels with finger joints, exported as SVG or DXF, that you cut from plywood or acrylic and glue together. This generator makes solid 3D printable parts as STL files for an FDM or resin printer. It does not make laser-cut panels.
The volume is measured inside, from the floor to the rim (or to the underside of an inset or sliding lid). Rounded corners take a little out of each corner, so the number under the preview is the real space in millilitres. With dividers, the per-compartment number also leaves out the divider walls.
It is a rough estimate for PLA: about 0.8 mm of solid shell on every surface plus 15% infill inside, at 1.24 g/cm3. Your slicer gives the real number for your settings. Thin-walled boxes are mostly shell, so the estimate is closest for them.
No. The box is built and the STL files are written in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, there is no account, and the tool is free to use as often as you like.