A colorful source model becomes a single-color object after STL export. That can reflect an output limitation rather than a damaged file. Establish whether the recipient needs geometry or the product's colored appearance before converting.
What this STL export contains
Three.js documents STLExporter as describing surface geometry without colors or textures. FileMyLove uses this exporter with binary output. Colors visible in the source preview therefore do not prove the downloaded STL will contain them.
| Requirement | Suggested check |
|---|---|
| Shape | Open the STL and rotate through important details |
| Colors and textures | Compare the original; do not expect them in STL |
| Manufacturing dimensions | Check units and size in the destination application |
| Print suitability | Inspect in the slicer actually used for production |
See STL import size checks separately: correct-looking geometry still needs dimension checks.
Test a copy before delivery
- Open the source in Convert 3D and check whether its appearance loaded fully.
- Select STL only when it meets the recipient's needs.
- Download and open it in View 3D or the destination application.
- Rotate and inspect geometry and dimensions.
- Keep the original with its materials and texture images.
Converting back from STL cannot restore color information that was not stored there.
When the recipient needs colors
Ask which formats they can open and supply the complete original when practical. If trying a GLB conversion, reopen the output and compare it; do not assume every material survives identically.
For appearance review, you can attach a PNG or a PDF sheet of model views. Those pictures are references, not color data inside the STL or instructions to a printer to produce those colors.
If the source preview already lacks colors
Check source dependencies first. For example, OBJ may need its MTL and texture files. See delivering OBJ with its supporting files. Exporting STL cannot fill in data that was missing when the source loaded.
