# 3D Text Generator

> A 3D text generator is a tool that turns typed text into a 3D model by extruding each letter's outline. Kenerate's free generator runs in your browser: type up to 80 characters, pick one of 18 fonts or your own, set the size in millimetres, add a plate or keychain tab, and download STL or 3MF or GLB.

URL: https://kenerateai.com/3d-text-generator
Publisher: Kenerate AI (https://kenerateai.com)
Last updated: 2026-10-01

## Key facts
- Price: Free, no account
- Fonts: 18 Google Fonts (OFL / Apache 2.0) + any TTF or OTF you upload
- Size: Letters 5–120 mm, thickness 0.6–40 mm, bevel 0–2 mm
- Layout: Multi-line, left / centre / right; no base, a plate, or a keychain with ring hole
- Output: STL, 3MF, OBJ, GLB
- Privacy: Built in your browser — no upload
- Print it: STL and 3MF in millimetres — signs, cake toppers, name tags, desk plates.
- Use it in 3D apps: GLB opens in Blender, Unity, Unreal, Godot and web viewers. OBJ works almost everywhere.
- Your own font: Upload any TTF or OTF file and it's used locally — great for brand fonts.
- Plates and keychains: One click adds a rounded backing plate or a keychain tab with a 3–10 mm ring hole.
- Rounded edges: A small bevel softens the top edges for a friendlier look and nicer feel.
- Multi-line: Up to three short lines, aligned left, centre or right.
- Load the font: The TTF/OTF is parsed into glyph outlines (the same curves your computer uses to draw text).
- Lay out: Each line is shaped, aligned and spaced by the font's own metrics.
- Extrude: Outlines are extruded to your thickness, with optional rounded edges.
- Base and export: An optional plate or keychain is added under the text, then STL, 3MF, OBJ or GLB is written.
- STL (Stereolithography): Triangle mesh (binary or ASCII); by 3D Systems, 1987. Holds: Triangle surfaces, Facet normals. Lacks: Colour and textures, Units, Materials. Best for: 3D printing — every slicer opens it. Opens in: Cura, PrusaSlicer, Bambu Studio, OrcaSlicer, Blender.
- 3MF (3D Manufacturing Format): ZIP package with XML; by 3MF Consortium, 2015. Holds: Meshes with units (millimetres), Colours and materials, Several objects and build plates. Lacks: Animation. Best for: Modern 3D printing and multi-colour prints. Opens in: Bambu Studio, PrusaSlicer, OrcaSlicer, Cura, Windows 3D Builder.
- GLB (glTF 2.0 Binary): Single-file scene with PBR materials; by Khronos Group, 2017 (glTF 2.0). Holds: Meshes and PBR materials, Textures in the same file, Animation and skins. Lacks: Units beyond metres, CAD precision. Best for: Web, AR and real-time apps — the “JPEG of 3D”. Opens in: Browsers (three.js, model-viewer), Blender, Unity, Unreal, Godot.

## Steps
1. Type your text — Enter a word, name or short message — line breaks are kept.
2. Choose a font — Pick one of 18 fonts or upload your own TTF/OTF.
3. Set size and depth — Letter size, thickness and rounded edges in mm; add a plate or keychain if needed.
4. Download — STL or 3MF to print, GLB or OBJ for 3D apps.

## In depth

### How fonts become geometry
TrueType and OpenType fonts store each letter as closed outlines with holes (like inside an A or O). The generator extrudes those outlines straight up — the same method three.js uses for text geometry [10].

### Sizes that print
Walls under about 0.45 mm can't print on a 0.4 mm nozzle; two perimeters, about 0.9 mm, is safer [11]. Thin serifs and hairline scripts need bigger letters. Bold sans and slab fonts print cleanly even small.

### Free-standing letters
Letters that stand up on their own need depth: around a third of their height is a good start. Add a plate for anything thin, tall or with separate parts.

### Font licences
The bundled fonts are from Google Fonts under the SIL Open Font License or Apache 2.0, which allow use in printed objects [19]. If you upload a font, its own licence applies.

References:
[1] Wikipedia — STL (file format): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STL_(file_format)
[2] Wikipedia — Wavefront .obj file: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wavefront_.obj_file
[3] Wikipedia — FBX: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FBX
[4] Khronos Group — glTF: https://www.khronos.org/gltf/
[5] 3MF Consortium — 3MF specification: https://3mf.io/specification/
[6] Wikipedia — Universal Scene Description (USD / USDZ): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Scene_Description
[7] Wikipedia — PLY (file format): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PLY_(file_format)
[8] Khronos Group — glTF 2.0 specification: https://registry.khronos.org/glTF/specs/2.0/glTF-2.0.html
[9] Apple — AR Quick Look: https://developer.apple.com/augmented-reality/quick-look/
[10] three.js — documentation: https://threejs.org/docs/
[11] Prusa Knowledge Base — Modeling with 3D printing in mind: https://help.prusa3d.com/article/modeling-with-3d-printing-in-mind_164135
[12] Prusa Blog — lithophanes and filament transparency: https://blog.prusa3d.com/lets-play-with-filament-transparency-how-to-make-amazing-lifelike-color-photos-with-just-a-simple-color-change_104338/
[13] Polymers (2024) 16(20):2862 — FFF parameters and translucency of PLA: https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16202862
[14] Wikipedia — Lithophane: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithophane
[15] W3C — CSS Values and Units Level 3 (absolute lengths): https://www.w3.org/TR/css-values-3/
[16] Adobe Substance 3D — OpenGL vs DirectX normal maps: https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/docs/substance-3d/bakers/common-questions/what-is-the-difference-between-the-opengl-and-directx-normal-format
[17] Blender Manual — Normal Map node: https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/render/shader_nodes/displacement/normal_map.html
[18] Wikipedia — Normal mapping: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_mapping
[19] SIL Open Font License: https://openfontlicense.org/

## FAQ
Q: Is this 3D text generator free?
A: Yes — free with no account or watermark, and it runs in your browser.

Q: Can I use my own font?
A: Yes. Upload a TTF or OTF file; it stays on your device. Check the font's licence if you'll sell the prints.

Q: Why does the dot on my “i” print separately?
A: Some letters have separate parts. Choose “Plate” so everything sits on one base, or glue small pieces after printing.

Q: How small can printed letters be?
A: Keep the thinnest stroke above about 0.9 mm (two perimeters on a 0.4 mm nozzle). For most fonts that means letters at least 8–10 mm tall; script fonts need 20 mm or more.

Q: Can I make 3D text for Blender or a video?
A: Yes — download GLB or OBJ and import it. Add materials and lights in your app.

Q: Can I make engraved text?
A: This tool makes raised text. For engraving, import the STL into your slicer or CAD and subtract it from a plate.

Q: Which characters work?
A: Any character the chosen font includes. The bundled fonts cover Latin letters, digits and common symbols; upload a font for other scripts.

Q: Is a 3D text generator the same as text to 3D?
A: No. This tool turns letters and words into 3D by extruding a font — names, signs, logos, titles — free in your browser. Text to 3D is AI that builds an object from a description, like “a retro toy robot”; that's the Text to 3D Generator in the Kenerate 3D Studio, on any paid plan or credit pack.

Q: Is my text uploaded?
A: No. Everything is built in your browser.

## Related pages
- AI 3D Model Generator: https://kenerateai.com/ai-3d-model-generator
- Image to 3D: https://kenerateai.com/image-to-3d-converter
- AI STL Generator: https://kenerateai.com/ai-3d-printing-model-generator
- Text to 3D: https://kenerateai.com/text-to-3d-generator

## Sources
- Wikipedia — STL (file format): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STL_(file_format)
- Wikipedia — Wavefront .obj file: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wavefront_.obj_file
- Wikipedia — FBX: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FBX
- Khronos Group — glTF: https://www.khronos.org/gltf/
- 3MF Consortium — 3MF specification: https://3mf.io/specification/
- Wikipedia — Universal Scene Description (USD / USDZ): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Scene_Description
- Wikipedia — PLY (file format): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PLY_(file_format)
- Khronos Group — glTF 2.0 specification: https://registry.khronos.org/glTF/specs/2.0/glTF-2.0.html
- Apple — AR Quick Look: https://developer.apple.com/augmented-reality/quick-look/
- three.js — documentation: https://threejs.org/docs/
- Prusa Knowledge Base — Modeling with 3D printing in mind: https://help.prusa3d.com/article/modeling-with-3d-printing-in-mind_164135
- Prusa Blog — lithophanes and filament transparency: https://blog.prusa3d.com/lets-play-with-filament-transparency-how-to-make-amazing-lifelike-color-photos-with-just-a-simple-color-change_104338/
- Polymers (2024) 16(20):2862 — FFF parameters and translucency of PLA: https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16202862
- Wikipedia — Lithophane: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithophane
- W3C — CSS Values and Units Level 3 (absolute lengths): https://www.w3.org/TR/css-values-3/
- Adobe Substance 3D — OpenGL vs DirectX normal maps: https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/docs/substance-3d/bakers/common-questions/what-is-the-difference-between-the-opengl-and-directx-normal-format
- Blender Manual — Normal Map node: https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/render/shader_nodes/displacement/normal_map.html
- Wikipedia — Normal mapping: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_mapping
- SIL Open Font License: https://openfontlicense.org/