I can’t believe August starts tomorrow. Once again, and as I say every year, I need summer to come to a standstill. Pronto. Okay, so since I can’t make that happen and because back to school is just around the corner, I used my Silhouette Alta 3D printer to make these DIY 3D Printed Paper Clips. I did it my usual way from designing the 2D image and then 3D Printing it. You will also see how I designed the 2D image in Silhouette Studio. Read on for the full tutorial!
In Silhouette Studio, make your paper clip design. See the image below for a guide using the letter U, the offset tool and then point editing the shape
Save your design
In the Silhouette 3D Software, open your paper clip design
A pop-up will appear: Import As
Select Extrusion – then design will appear in 3D. Adjust the height (or other dimensions)
Select the 3D Print Tab on the right
Select the Quality (I used the Standard option)
Press Print. The machine will heat up and print – you will see the countdown of time as well
Once the first design is printed, let it cool then remove the platform from the printer
Use the spatula to gently remove the 3D paper clip and any extra filament
You can leave it as is or move on to paint your paper clips – I used a chalk paint