How to Measure a Bracket for 3D Printing

A printed bracket is only as good as the measurements it is based on. You do not need special tools — a ruler works, though a cheap digital caliper is worth having. Here is a reliable method.

Tools

• A ruler or, ideally, a digital caliper
• A pencil and paper, or your phone camera
• The part or the space the bracket fits into

What to measure

1. Overall envelope. Length, width and height of the space the bracket can occupy.
2. Fixing points. Hole diameters and, crucially, the centre-to-centre distance between holes. Get these exact.
3. Material thickness. How thick the arms or plate need to be. Thicker is stronger but bulkier.
4. Clearances. Anything the bracket must avoid — cables, edges, moving parts.
5. The load. Roughly how much weight, and in which direction. This decides material and wall thickness.

Tips for accuracy

• Measure each critical dimension twice.
• Note whether a measurement is a maximum, a minimum or exact.
• Photograph the part next to a ruler for reference.
• If in doubt, tell us which dimensions are critical and which have room to move.

Send the measurements and a photo or sketch, and we will design and estimate the bracket.

Start a quote.