Setting Up a Shopify Store with the Slant 3D Plugin: A Step-by-Step Guide
Hey there! Today, I’m excited to walk you through the process of setting up your very own Shopify store using the Slant 3D plugin. Whether you’re brand new to Shopify or just looking for a seamless way to manage your 3D printed products, this tutorial will guide you from start to finish. We’re going to cover everything from setting up the store, to troubleshooting along the way, and ultimately automating fulfillment, so you can sit back while your orders get printed and shipped. Let’s dive in!
1. Creating Your Shopify Store
First things first, you need a Shopify account. If you don’t have one, don’t worry—Shopify offers a free trial that will let you explore and set up everything without immediate costs. When signing up, I recommend using a fresh Gmail account (like I did) for a clean start. You can call your store whatever you want; in my case, I went with “Spencer's Awesome Ducks.”
Shopify offers a wide range of customizable templates to help you get started quickly. Whether you want a simple online storefront or plan to list across platforms like Etsy and Amazon (which Shopify can integrate with), this is where you begin. Once your store template is set up, you’re ready to add your first product.
2. Adding Your First Product
Let’s get that first product live. For demonstration purposes, I’m adding a rubber ducky, but the process applies to any 3D-printed product you might offer.
Start by filling in the basic product details—description, photos, and pricing. For this rubber duck, I’m offering it in four colors: white, black, red, and light gray. Each color gets its own variant, complete with a unique SKU. Don’t worry if you’re still deciding on specifics like pricing or shipping weights, these can be adjusted later.
3. Installing the Slant 3D Plugin
Here’s where the magic happens! Once your product is added, head to the Shopify App Store and install the Slant 3D plugin. This is the tool that will allow you to automatically 3D print your products as soon as they’re ordered. Note: the Slant 3D app requires a subscription to fulfill orders, but you can start setting it up without one.
Once installed, the app needs access to your product listings to match them with the 3D printing files (STLs). Every time someone orders, the app will print the item and you’ll be billed for the cost of printing at the end of the month.
4. Uploading & Matching STL Files
Next, upload your 3D printing files (STL) into the app. Using a simple tool like Microsoft’s 3D Builder, you can verify your files are ready for printing. Once uploaded, match the STL file to your product variants in Shopify. For example, I matched the white rubber duck variant with a white PLA filament file.
You’ll also be able to choose the material for each product (PLA for standard prints, PETG for more functional items). This way, each variant of your product (white, black, etc.) is tied to the correct STL file and material for production.
5. Setting Prices and Shipping
Pricing is important. In the Slant 3D plugin, you’ll see the cost to print each item. For instance, my small duck costs $4 to print. Make sure you adjust your product pricing in Shopify to reflect this, adding enough margin to cover shipping and give you a decent profit.
Speaking of shipping, you can customize shipping settings in Shopify. If you prefer, you can charge a flat rate (say $5), or calculate exact shipping costs based on product weight. I recommend including shipping in the product price and offering “free” shipping for better conversions.
6. Automating Fulfillment
Automation is key to scaling your business. Ensure that Shopify is set to automatically fulfill orders as soon as they’re placed. This way, when an order comes in, the Slant 3D app prints the product and sends out a shipping notification without you lifting a finger. This saves you time and keeps your customers happy with prompt service.
7. Final Touches
Before you launch, make sure your store’s SEO is optimized, choose a domain name, and pick a Shopify plan to make your site public. You’ll also want to double-check your product SKUs and matches to ensure everything’s linked up correctly.
8. Recap: How It All Comes Together
Create a Shopify store and install the Slant 3D plugin.
Add products with different variants (color, size, etc.).
Upload STL files and match them to product variants.
Set up pricing and shipping options.
Automate fulfillment with Shopify to ensure orders get printed and shipped with no delays.
Congratulations! You’ve just set up a 3D-print-on-demand Shopify store. Now all that’s left is to get your products in front of the right audience. From here, you can explore SEO, marketing, and integrations with platforms like Etsy and Amazon to expand your reach.
If you run into any hiccups or want to dive deeper into other aspects like product descriptions or promotional tactics, stay tuned for more guides. We’re turning this into a series where we’ll walk through building out more advanced setups, tools, and strategies. Happy selling!
Have a fantastic day, and good luck with your store!
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