Maker Guide

How to Make a 3D-Printed Text Flip: TRICK From the Front, TREAT From the Side

The first time I saw a text flip, I really loved it: one 3D print that reads one word from the front and a different word from the side. Then I noticed people use them to write their own name and the name of someone they love, like their daughter's or their children's names, one on the left and one on the right. Making one used to take some tricky CAD work, so I built the Text Flip Generator on Designer Bee. For Halloween I added a pumpkin and a ghost, so this one says TRICK from the front and TREAT from the side.

What you need

• A 3D printer. Any FDM printer works: Prusa, Bambu Lab, Creality and the rest.
• PLA in one colour. Orange looks the part for Halloween.
• Small pliers and a craft knife for cleaning up after the print.

Design it in your browser

Open Text Flip. It runs in your browser with no account and nothing to install. For the front, type TRICK and use the Shapes button to add the pumpkin. For the side, type TREAT and add the ghost. Keep both words the same length, so every letter has a partner: the tool pairs the first letter of the front word with the first letter of the side word, and so on. The pumpkin and the ghost make the sixth pair.

Spin the preview to check both words. The Front and Side buttons above the model turn it straight to each word. If the size shown at the bottom of the settings is longer than your printer's bed, lower the letter height a little. Then download the file.

Print it just as it is

Open the file in your slicer and print it as downloaded, with supports turned off. The tool already built small breakaway supports into the file, where a letter needs them, and they are meant to come off easily. If your slicer uses a layer height other than 0.2 mm, set the same layer height under Advanced in the tool before you download, so the supports separate cleanly.

Clean it up

When it's done, the little supports come off with a gentle push to the side; small pliers help with the ones between letters. You might need a craft knife or other finishing tools to clean up the edges. Just be careful. If you are comfortable in a slicer, or know someone at a makerspace who is, you can also turn off Breakaway supports under Advanced and add your own.

The moment of truth

Hold it at eye level and turn it slowly. Trick. Treat. Each word reads when its side faces you straight on, and in between the letters look like abstract blocks, which is half the fun when you hand it to someone.

Make it your own

After Halloween, try two names: yours and your child's, two friends, or Mom and Dad for a gift. Short words of three to six letters print fastest and read most clearly. You can find more ready-made Halloween projects, plus a printable handout for library and classroom sessions, on the Halloween page.

No 3D printer? Your library makerspace probably has one. Find a makerspace near you, bring the file, and make one. Happy Halloween!