How to photograph and measure a part for 3D printing

Lay the part flat on a plain, contrasting surface with a ruler or tape measure right beside it. Shoot straight down from directly above, then from the side and the end. Phone cameras are fine — just avoid wide-angle and get close.

You don’t need every dimension, just the ones that decide whether it fits:

• Overall length, width and height
• Hole diameters and the distance between hole centres
• Wall and tab thicknesses
• Anything that clips, slides or screws into something else

A $20 pair of digital calipers from any hardware store measures to a tenth of a millimetre. If you don’t have them, a ruler is fine for most parts — tell us which numbers you’re unsure of.

A photo of the part in place — or where it used to go — answers a lot of questions. Tell us whether it lives indoors, outside or in a vehicle so we can choose the right material.

If you’re in Edmonton or nearby, the broken original is the best reference of all, even in pieces.