The limit: Sculpteo
- File size cap
- 50 MB
- Triangle cap
- 1,000,000
- Triangles at that size
- 1.05 million
This page opens the reducer at 45 MB. Source: Sculpteo help centre (checked 2026-09).
Why the file is over it
Files sent to a printing service are usually the final, highest-resolution export, because nobody wants to lose detail on a paid print. That is the wrong instinct for size: a 0.1 mm layer cannot reproduce triangles smaller than the layer, so a scan at 3 million triangles carries two thirds of its data below what SLS or resin can render.
How to get under it
- 1Drop the STL below. The target is preset to 45 MB.
- 2Press Reduce. The result card reports the triangle count; it will be under one million at this size.
- 3If Sculpteo's price seems high, reducing further does not lower it: cost depends on volume, not triangles.
- 4Download and upload to Sculpteo.
What to expect
A 120 MB export (2.5 million triangles) to 45 MB keeps about 940,000 triangles. Fine texture on organic models softens slightly; edges on mechanical parts stay sharp because the algorithm removes triangles from flat regions first.
Other ways
Sculpteo's own site offers repair but no simplification. Netfabb and Meshmixer used to be the standard answer; Meshmixer is discontinued and Netfabb's free tier is gone, which is why most guides now point to Blender's Decimate modifier.
Questions
Why is a 49 MB file rejected?
The polygon cap. One million triangles is about 48 MB of binary STL; an ASCII STL hits the size cap far earlier. Convert to binary and stay under 45 MB.
Does reducing change the quoted price?
No. Sculpteo prices by material volume and bounding box. The reducer does not change the volume in any measurable way.
Should I reduce a file meant for SLS differently?
No special settings are needed. SLS resolution is around 0.1 mm; the tool's quality-preserving collapse stays well above that at 45 MB for any model that fits on a desktop printer.