How to convert OBJ to STL

Need to convert OBJ to STL? OBJ is a simple, universal static mesh format with basic material references; STL is best for 3D printing and rapid prototyping. This guide covers exactly what survives the conversion, what you can lose, and the quickest reliable workflow.

What transfers and what you lose

• STL stores geometry only, so materials, colour and textures are dropped. Keep your textured source if you need them later.
• Check units and scale after importing. OBJ and STL workflows often assume different default units, which is the most common cause of a model arriving far too large or too small.

Convert OBJ to STL in your browser

This local converter supports standalone OBJ files for this safe mesh route. Nothing is uploaded. Materials, animation and external texture sidecars may be lost depending on the formats.

Local mesh converter

Drop an OBJ file here, or click to choose one.

Convert to STL

Choose a file to convert.

Recommended workflow

1. Open your OBJ file. Import the OBJ file into a tool that reads both formats, such as Blender (free), Cinema 4D, 3ds Max or MeshLab.
2. Check scale, units and orientation. Confirm the model is the right size and facing the right way before exporting. Fix the units now rather than in the target application.
3. Confirm the geometry is clean. STL keeps geometry only, so make sure the mesh is watertight and correctly scaled.
4. Export as STL. Export to STL using the correct options for 3D printing and rapid prototyping, then re-open the result to confirm geometry, scale and materials are intact.

Frequently asked questions

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