1 · Model Identity
Which model is this?
Give the model’s name, creator, original page, description, important features, and the printers the creator prepared it for. List separately any other printer that SnapCentral has actually tested.
Full Model Workflow · Step 1 · Publishing Gate
Publishing Gate
What if every model provided the same consistent, complete printing information?
The Publishing Gate establishes that standard. Before a Model Card goes live, it checks that the creator, model source, permissions, pictures, filament, quantities, print time, printer setup, slicer settings, and supporting evidence are clearly documented.
Purpose of this pageSee the information standard used to decide whether a Model Card is complete enough to publish. You may review the checks below or continue directly to the finished Cute Dragon SnapCard.
When a listing is sent backWe ask for corrections when important information is missing, a claim has no support, the pictures do not show enough, the filament details are unclear, or two sources disagree without an explanation.
Key takeaway
- The same eight information groups are checked for every submitted model.
- Missing evidence or unclear claims are corrected before a Model Card is published.
- The Cute Dragon shows the standard applied to a creator-approved, real U1 print.
Creator-approved exampleControlled U1 printUpdated September 3, 2026
What every Model Card needs
Eight easy-to-check information groups
2 · Pictures
Show the model clearly
Include at least three useful pictures: a main view, another angle or close-up, and a picture of the completed print. Each original picture must meet the minimum size.
3 · Print Summary
What will the print take?
Show the expected print time, total filament, amount of each color, nozzle size, number of build plates, where each estimate came from, and whether the numbers are close enough to one another.
4 · Filament List
What should I prepare?
List the filament brand and product, filament type such as PLA or PETG, color and finish, diameter, amount needed, extra filament used for color changes, possible substitutes, and how the information was confirmed.
5 · Starting Settings
How should I begin?
Show the nozzle, layer height, infill, walls, filament, colors, supports, and whether the object prints as one piece. When sources recommend different settings, explain the difference and link to helpful Academy guidance.
6 · Exact Print Setup
How can I repeat it?
Record the printer, slicer, printer software version, temperatures, wall and top/bottom layers, model position, build plate, speed, cooling, color-change setup, and final prepared print file.
7 · Permission and Files
What may be used or shared?
Show the creator’s rules for using the model, any extra permission, required creator credit, the files included, what SnapCentral may not share, how SnapCentral confirms that a checked file has not changed, and links to the creator-approved public source. Creator submissions must include permission for demonstration use while preserving the creator’s ownership and all distribution and alteration rights.
8 · Proof
Why should I trust it?
Keep the original listing information, checked print setup, final prepared print file, documented test print, photographs, result, and review notes that support the Model Card’s claims.
Reusable technical standardThe same eight groups are also available as a machine-readable JSON Schema, a populated U1 example, and a downloadable checklist.
See what each group means
Plain explanations and Cute Dragon examples
Examples onlyThese examples show how the information could be presented. Before any Model Card is published, its names, links, permissions, settings, amounts, printer support, and test results must be checked using that model’s own information. Do not copy the Cute Dragon values into another listing.
1 · Model IdentityMake sure everyone is looking at the same model
What this means: Record the exact model name, creator, and original model page so a remake, renamed file, or printer settings file is not mistaken for a different model. Keep “the creator made settings for this printer” separate from “SnapCentral successfully tested it on this printer.”
Cute Dragon example only
- Primary creator link
- Visit IK3D on Patreon
- Direct model-page link
- Adorable Baby Dragon / No Supports on Printables
- SnapCard title
- Multi-color Cute Dragon
- Creator
- IK3D
- Creator-made printer profiles
- P1P, P1S, and X1C
- Printer tested by SnapCentral
- Snapmaker U1
2 · PicturesShow enough views to understand the print
What this means: Pictures should show the whole print, important details, and visible problems. They should also support claims such as “Print Verified.” Record who took each picture, permission to use it, a caption, a written image description for screen readers, and its original pixel size.
Cute Dragon example only
- Views shown
- Front, side, rear, top, bottom, and the model with its completed wipe tower
- Original picture size
- 1200 × 1600 pixels for each selected photograph
- What the pictures show
- Color alignment, horns, spine, belly, claws, underside, rear seam, minor stringing, and successful color changes through the full print
- Public-use status
- Approved. Verification photographs by Tretsven & Associates.
3 · Print SummaryGive a quick view of time and filament use
What this means: Give makers the basic facts needed to plan the print. Keep the time shown on the original listing, the estimate from the program that prepares the print (the slicer), and the time measured during a test print separate so readers know which number they are seeing.
Cute Dragon example only
- Slicer estimate
- 2 h 52 m 26 s; 50.49 g; 16,929.57 mm of filament
- Measured print time
- 2 h 48 m 45.962 s
- Amount of each color
- Red 25.00 g; black 5.45 g; white 5.68 g; yellow 14.37 g
- Nozzles and build plate
- Four 0.4 mm standard steel nozzles; one textured U1 plate
- Time comparison
- The print finished about 3 minutes 40 seconds faster than the slicer estimated, which is close enough to pass the allowed difference
4 · Filament ListTell the maker what to have ready
What this means: List every filament the maker needs. Include the exact product when known, its type, color, size, and amount. Also explain whether the total includes filament used for the model, the brim, the wipe tower, or nozzle cleaning.
Cute Dragon example only
- Brand and product
- Snapmaker SnapSpeed PLA manufactured by Polymaker
- Filament type and size
- PLA; 1.75 mm filament
- Colors and finish
- Standard red, black, white, and yellow
- Total amount
- 50.49 g estimated by the slicer, divided among the four colors above
- Extra color-change filament
- The total includes the model, wipe tower, brim, and filament used to clean the nozzles during color changes. The slicer did not show a separate amount for each purpose.
- Other filament
- Another standard PLA may work, but it must be tested before it can receive the same Print Verified label
- How it was confirmed
- Print Verified for the recorded spools and U1 setup
5 · Starting SettingsGive the maker a clear place to begin
What this means: Show a dependable starting setup. If the creator, model website, and SnapCentral test used different settings, label each one instead of combining them into a single unexplained recommendation.
Cute Dragon example only
- Nozzle size
- 0.4 mm
- Layer height
- The creator recommends 0.16 mm or lower. The Print Verified U1 setup used 0.22 mm, with a 0.25 mm first layer.
- Walls and inside fill
- 2 walls; 5% inside fill using a repeating gyroid pattern
- Supports and position
- Supports turned off; model standing upright
- Filament and colors
- PLA in red, black, white, and yellow
- One piece or assembly
- Printed as one complete object; no moving joints and no assembly
6 · Exact Print SetupRecord what another maker needs to repeat the print
What this means: Record the exact setup used for the final slice and test print, including the printer’s firmware and any wipe-tower settings.
Cute Dragon example only
- Printer
- Snapmaker U1 with four 0.4 mm standard steel nozzles
- Slicer program
- Snapmaker Orca 2.3.5, build 01.10.01.50
- Printer software
- Firmware 1.5.1.2_20260703125508
- Temperatures
- 220 °C nozzle; 65 °C build plate
- Walls, top, and bottom
- 2 walls; 5 top layers; 3 bottom layers
- Build plate and grip
- Textured U1 plate; automatic 5 mm brim; no adhesive
- Position and size
- Standing upright; 51.371 × 57.936 × 60.000 mm
- Color-change setup
- Red, black, white, and yellow tool order; wipe tower turned on with rib wall and 15-degree cone
7 · Permission and FilesState what may be shown, downloaded, or shared
What this means: Explain what the creator allows SnapCentral and other makers to do. Showing pictures of a model does not automatically give SnapCentral permission to provide the model files for download.
Cute Dragon example only
- Rules shown on the listing
- Standard Digital File License, which tells users how the creator allows the file to be used
- Extra permission
- IK3D gave SnapCentral permission to use the model in this educational demonstration while keeping all of the creator’s other rights
- Founding Contributor acknowledgement
- IK3D is recognized as a Founding Contributor for providing the first model used to demonstrate and help shape the verification and education system
- Creator credit
- Model by IK3D, with the creator’s Patreon page shown first and the approved direct Printables model page shown second
- Files listed by the creator
- An STL model file and a pre-colored 3MF project file are shown on the public listing. The private project file checked by SnapCentral is kept separately.
- Current file handling
- The current SnapCentral demonstration does not host or provide copies of the digital model files. Creator ownership, licensing, permission, and distribution rights remain protected in any future development.
- File-change check
- A private digital fingerprint, called a checksum, confirms that the checked file has not changed without exposing the file itself
8 · ProofShow what supports each important claim
What this means: Keep a dated record showing why each important statement is believable. A Model Card does not become Print Verified just because it looks complete; the original listing, inspected setup, sliced file, test print, pictures, and review notes must support the result.
Cute Dragon example only
- Original information
- Creator name, original model page, rules for using the model, model description, and creator-made printer settings
- Setup checks
- Private 3MF project file check, U1 settings, printer software, slicer version, color assigned to each toolhead, and installed filament spools
- Print records
- Final prepared print job, review of the printer’s G-code, completed test print, measured time, and filament-length report
- Pictures
- Six 1200 × 1600 photographs showing the model, underside, rear seam, color edges, and wipe tower
- Result
- Print Verified — excellent quality with minor appearance issues; no broken features or printer error
- Public-use status
- Picture set approved. Verification photographs by Tretsven & Associates.
Creator Demonstration Submissions
Original creators are invited to help shape SnapCentral
Original model creators are encouraged to submit models for demonstration consideration. Creators whose models are accepted for the early demonstration may be acknowledged as Founding Contributors.
Required permission statementSubmission grants SnapCentral permission to access and use the model for print verification, educational evaluation, and demonstration. It does not transfer ownership or grant SnapCentral any right to distribute, sell, sublicense, alter, or create modified versions of the model files.
Phase 1 submission methodThe completed form prepares an addressed email for the creator to review and send to Tretsven & Associates. Nothing is transmitted automatically, and model files remain with the creator or the creator’s chosen platform.
Picture Check
Clear pictures that help makers judge the print
How many?
At least three approved pictures
Include a main picture, another angle or close-up, and a picture showing the completed print.
Picture size
1000 × 1200 or higher
The shorter side must be at least 1000 pixels and the longer side at least 1200 pixels. Portrait and landscape pictures are both allowed.
What we record
Permission and accessibility
For each picture, record its pixel size, where it came from, permission to use it, photographer credit, caption, and a written description for people using screen readers.
Small Differences in Numbers
Allow normal rounding, but explain larger differences
Filament amount
Allow 1 g or 2%, whichever is larger
Filament amounts may be rounded to whole grams. If the difference is within this limit, label it as normal rounding instead of treating it as an error.
Listing time compared with program estimate
Allow 5 minutes or 5%, whichever is larger
Times may be rounded to whole minutes. A larger difference needs a short explanation and review.
Program estimate compared with measured time
Allow 10 minutes or 10%, whichever is larger
If the measured time includes heating, printer checks, pauses, restarts, or waiting for the user, say so clearly.
Cute Dragon exampleThe original listing rounds the total to 46 g while its color amounts add to 45 g. That small difference is treated as normal rounding. The creator’s 0.16 mm layer suggestion, the listing’s 0.20 mm value, and the U1 test’s 0.22 mm value remain visible as separate, clearly labeled information.
When Settings Are Different
Explain what the change means for the maker
Layer height example
Link to a helpful Academy lesson
If two sources show different layer heights, the Model Card must explain how the choice can affect detail, print time, strength, steep or unsupported areas, top surfaces, the first layer, the amount of filament placed, and the chance of a successful print.
Why this setting was chosen
Connect the lesson to the actual model
The Publishing Gate checks that the link works, the lesson explains the difference shown on the Model Card, and the reason for choosing the final setting is easy to understand.
Show Where Each Answer Came From
Keep every value connected to its source
Where information may come from
The creator · the original model page · the filament or printer maker · the project prepared in the slicer program · the final prepared print file · a documented test print · a reviewer’s calculation or observation.
Be clear about printer support
“The creator made settings for this printer” is different from “SnapCentral checked the file for this printer” or “SnapCentral successfully printed it on this printer.” The Model Card must say which one applies.
1
Collect
Gather every required answer and record where it came from.
2
Check
Check permission, pictures, filament details, and missing information.
3
Compare
Compare different sources and note anything that does not match.
4
Test
Review the prepared print job and complete a documented test print when required.
5
Explain
Correct mistakes and clearly explain any remaining differences.
6
Publish
Release the complete Model Card with clear notes showing where the information came from.
Full Model Workflow · Step 1 Complete
What if all that information were easy to read and use?
The Cute Dragon SnapCard presents the creator guidance, complete printing instructions, photographs, filament types and amounts, printing time, layer height, and other slicer settings in one readable place.