The limit: JLC3DP
- File size cap
- 100 MB
- Triangle cap
- no fixed cap
- Triangles at that size
- 2.1 million
This page opens the reducer at 90 MB. Source: JLC3DP help, How to place a 3D printing order (checked 2026-09).
Why the file is over it
JLC3DP is where many people first send an AI-generated or scanned model to be printed in resin or nylon, and those sources export at whatever resolution they were built at: Tripo's best-quality export is 1.9 million faces, Rodin's about 600,000, and a phone scan can be more. Cheap printing plus heavy files is exactly the combination that hits this limit.
How to get under it
- 1Drop the STL below. The target is preset to 90 MB; set 75 MB if the upload still fails.
- 2Press Reduce. The tool repairs common defects first, which JLC3DP's checker would otherwise flag.
- 3Read the result card: size, triangle count and watertightness before and after.
- 4Download and upload to JLC3DP.
What to expect
A 135 MB file (2.8 million triangles) to 90 MB keeps 1.9 million, which is more than their 0.05 mm resin resolution can show on any desktop-sized part. Their quote does not change: JLC3DP prices by material volume and size, not by mesh density.
Other ways
JLC3DP's help suggests reducing in Blender or MeshLab when a file is refused. Both work; both ask for a ratio rather than a size, so you will iterate. Uploading a 3MF instead of STL saves 20 to 40 percent without changing the mesh, if their uploader accepts it for your material.
Questions
Is the limit 80 or 100 MB?
The current order page says 100 MB; an older Q&A says 80 MB. Under 75 MB satisfies both.
Does a smaller file print faster or cheaper?
No. Print time and price depend on the geometry's volume and height. The file size only affects the upload and their slicer's preparation time.
My model has several shells. Is that a problem?
Not for the reducer. Every shell is reduced with the same tolerance, and the result card reports if the mesh is still watertight.