Aladdin Lamp / How to 3D print a lamp

How to 3D print a lamp

You can 3D print a lamp shade and base at home, then add a cord kit and an LED bulb to make a working lamp. It takes five steps: design it, pick a wall thickness, export the files, slice and print, then assemble and wire it.

What you need

• A 3D printer. The designer has presets for Bambu Lab, Prusa, Creality, Elegoo and Anycubic printers, and it works with any printer whose bed is big enough.
• Filament. PLA works well, and white or natural PLA lets the most light through.
• A lamp cord kit with a socket. The designs are made for the common E26 socket size. Check your kit against the print notes in your download.
• An LED bulb. The designer builds around A19, A15, A21, ST64, G25 and BR30 bulb shapes.
• A little glue for the socket ring on a pendant lamp.

The five steps

1. Design your lamp. Open Aladdin Lamp, pick a template or start from scratch, and choose your printer, your lamp type (pendant or table lamp) and your LED bulb size. Shape the lamp with the profile curve, size, tiers, walls, waves and twist. The designer checks the lamp against your printer's build volume and warns you about steep overhangs while you work.
2. Pick a wall thickness. The default wall is 1.2 mm. Thinner walls let more light through, and thicker walls are stiffer. You can set anything from 0.4 mm to 3 mm. Your print notes will tell you the exact slicer setting for the thickness you chose.
3. Export your print files. Press Export and choose STL or 3MF. You get a zip with one file per part, laid out on plates sized for your printer, plus a text file of print notes. You don't need an account to export. If you sign in afterwards, with a free Google account or an email code, the lamp is saved so you can edit and reprint it later.
4. Slice and print. Open the files in your slicer (Bambu Studio, Orca Slicer, PrusaSlicer or Cura) and copy the settings from the print notes. A tall shade is a long print. A 250 mm shade at 0.2 mm layers is about 1,250 layers, and your slicer shows the time estimate. For the settings we tested, see the print settings guide.
5. Assemble and wire it. On a pendant lamp, glue the printed socket ring into the shade opening. On a table lamp, set the shade over the base and turn it clockwise until it sits on the base. Then fit your cord kit and socket, and screw in an LED bulb. Use LED bulbs only, because a hot bulb can soften PLA. Use a certified cord kit and follow your local electrical rules. If you're unsure about wiring, ask an electrician.

Tips for a clean print

• Dry your filament first. Wet filament causes strings and rough surfaces.
• For a pendant lamp, try vase mode for the smoothest surface and almost no stringing. It isn't available for table lamps with a threaded base, or for shades with steep overhangs.
• If a shade leans out more than about 60 degrees from vertical, print with supports or soften that part of the curve. The designer warns you.

Settings and measured results are in print settings for a 3D printed lamp.