If you have landed on this blog post, you probably don’t need us to tell you how awesome cosplay is for connecting with your favourite characters, your creativity, your individuality and other cosplayers.
The biggest problem for many cosplayers, however, is where to source 3D printable cosplay models. You can of course design your own, but if 3D model creation isn’t where your talents lie, that’s okay, because there are SO MANY people out there who can help you with this. It’s just a case of finding them.
Online 3D Model Platforms
There are lots of 3D model platforms across the internet, that allow people to upload their 3D models for others to download and use. Some of the popular choices that are widely used include:
Thingiverse: Thingiverse is probably the longest-running platform for 3D printing, and certainly has the largest online community. There is a HUGE variety of cosplay-related models for costumes, props etc. And most importantly, everything here can be downloaded for FREE although – as you’d expect – please do pay close attention to licensing.
Check out the Thingiverse website.
Printables: Prusa’s answer to Thingiverse, Printables is one of our go-to places for personal-use 3D models. They regularly hold competitions, and the platform has an incredibly robust search tool, which might sound strange to highlight, but it is a massive help due to the sheer VOLUME of models on there. Printables is free, however, it recently launched a premium subscription service that gives you access to exclusive 3D models.
Head over to the Printables website.
MyMiniFactory: My MiniFactory has a solid reputation for offering high-quality 3D models and includes a dedicated Cosplay category that is useful to know. The platform has a mix of both free and premium models available, as well as a subscription service, Tribes.
Find lots of cosplay models at MyMiniFactory.
Cults 3D: Cult’s 3D is a growing platform that includes a wide variety of cosplay models. It also offers a blend of free and premium 3D models.
Visit the Cults 3D website.
Thangs: We don’t have a huge amount of knowledge about this one, as we don’t personally use it. However, it is a popular one that you should check out, so head on over to Thangs.
Social Media and Forums
As with most communities, the online cosplay community on platforms such as Facebook, Reddit and Discord are incredibly prolific, and most of them have members who are more than happy to share their 3D printable models.
Engaging with these communities can help you to discover designs that suit your passions, whilst at the same time connecting you more directly with the creators themselves.
Patreon
Many established creators – that you will probably find on social media and forums – will have Patreons that involve paying a monthly subscription that gives you access to exclusive 3D models.
Other websites follow the same structure as Patreon that are worth taking a look at, including:
- MyMiniFactory’s Tribes
- Printables’ Creators’ Clubs
Paid Model Marketplaces
Paid Model Marketplaces aren’t exclusively for cosplay 3D models, however, you will find a lot of premium models available on them that are available to purchase. The most popular ones include:
- Etsy
- Gumroad
- CGTrader
Check back for our next blog post, where we’ll be looking at how to modify your Cosplay 3D Models.
If you would like our help modifying your models, or would like us to 3D print them for you, send us an email, and we will be more than happy to help.