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TinkerCAD: Your Own Nameplate

TinkerCAD: Your Own Nameplate

Your name in 3D — you can actually touch it! In this project, you’ll design your own nameplate with TinkerCAD and then print it out on a 3D printer. You can hang the plate on your bedroom door, put it on your desk, or give it as a gift.

What is TinkerCAD?

TinkerCAD is a free 3D program that runs right in your browser. You don’t need to install anything! You combine simple shapes (cubes, cylinders, spheres…) into your own design. Perfect for beginners!

What you need

  • A computer or laptop with internet access
  • A browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge)
  • A free account at tinkercad.com
  • Optional: access to a 3D printer to print it out

Step 1: Launch TinkerCAD

  1. Go to tinkercad.com
  2. Sign in (or create a free account)
  3. Click “Create new design”
  4. You’ll now see the workspace — a blue grid with a panel on the right side

Step 2: Build the base plate

Your nameplate needs a plate as its base:

  1. Drag a box from the panel on the right onto the workspace
  2. Click the box and change the dimensions:
    • Width: 80 mm (or more, depending on the length of the name)
    • Depth: 25 mm
    • Height: 3 mm
  3. That’s now your base plate!
Tip: you can type the dimensions directly into the white fields when you click on an edge.

Step 3: Add your name

Now for the fun part:

  1. On the right in the panel, under “Text,” you’ll find a 3D letter block
  2. Drag it onto the workspace
  3. Click on the text and type in your name
  4. Adjust the size:
    • Height: about 5 mm (how tall the letters stand above the plate)
    • Font size: adjust so the name fits on the plate
  5. Move the text onto the base plate — it needs to sit on top
Important: the text needs to touch or slightly overlap the base plate so both become one piece when printed. Use the side view to check this!

Step 4: Combine everything

  1. Select all parts (Ctrl+A or Cmd+A)
  2. Click “Group” (the icon with the square at the top of the panel, or Ctrl+G)
  3. Now the base plate and text are a single object — ready to print!

Step 5: Add extras (optional)

Make your nameplate even more special:

  • A hole for hanging: drag a cylinder onto the plate, turn it into a “hole” (click “Hole”), and group it. This creates a hole you can thread a cord through.
  • A frame: add thin boxes along the edges of your base plate
  • Symbols: in the library on the right you’ll find stars, hearts, and other shapes
  • Rounded corners: use a “rounded box” instead of a regular box

Step 6: Export and print

  1. Click “Export” at the top right
  2. Choose STL as the format
  3. Download the file
  4. Open the STL file in a slicer program (e.g. Cura or PrusaSlicer)
  5. Off it goes to the 3D printer!

Done!

You’ve designed your own 3D nameplate! That’s a great first project to get to know TinkerCAD. If you enjoyed this, why not try our other TinkerCAD projects next!

TinkerCAD Introduction: 3D Nameplate