yigo

Blog

Guides to finding, choosing and printing 3D models, from the people who make Yigo.

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  1. 3D model search engines compared: Yeggi, STLFinder, Thangs, Google and Yigo

    · 4 min read

    Where to search for 3D printable models: how Yeggi, STLFinder, Thangs, Google, each site’s own search and Yigo compare on coverage, search quality, speed and privacy, and which to use when.

  2. 3D model licenses explained: can you sell what you print?

    · 2 min read

    What Creative Commons and other licenses on 3D printable models let you do: print for yourself, share, remix or sell prints, and how to credit the designer, in plain words.

  3. How to find something to 3D print when you don’t know what you want

    · 2 min read

    Out of ideas for your 3D printer? Seven ways to find models worth printing without knowing what to search for: browsing by topic, the feed, fixing things at home, gifts, and more.

  4. Your first 3D prints: what to print on a new printer

    · 2 min read

    Just got a 3D printer? What to print first: a few quick tests that tune your printer, then useful and fun models that are easy to get right.

  5. Gridfinity explained: the 3D printed storage system everyone is printing

    · 2 min read

    What Gridfinity is, how its 42 mm grid of baseplates and bins works, and how to find the bins, baseplates and holders you need for your drawers and desk.

  6. How to search for 3D models: 9 tips for better results

    · 2 min read

    Simple ways to find the 3D printable model you’re picturing: which words to use, how to name parts, filters and sorting, and what to try when a search finds nothing.

  7. How Yigo’s search works, and why it doesn’t use AI

    · 2 min read

    What happens between pressing Enter and seeing results on Yigo: classic search-engine ranking with rare words, closeness and likes, why poor matches are left out, and why there’s no AI.

  8. Print-in-place and articulated models: what they are and how to print them

    · 2 min read

    Articulated dragons, flexi animals and hinged boxes come off the printer already moving. How print-in-place models work, where to find good ones, and tips so the joints don’t fuse.

  9. Where to find free STL files (and how to tell they’re really free)

    · 2 min read

    The main places to download free 3D printable models, how free and paid models are mixed on each kind of site, and how to check a free file is the real thing before you print it.