Connector for Claude · Free
PrintPal for Claude: a 3D printing connector for Claude.ai, Desktop and Code
Add one URL as a custom connector and Claude can search printable models, run 3D printing calculators, diagnose failed prints with cited sources and plan builds. Works in Claude.ai, Claude Desktop and Claude Code.
- Free
- No auth
- Claude.ai, Desktop & Code
- 3 built-in prompts
- Stringing and oozing · PrintPal wiki
- PETG print settings guide
- Filament drying chart
What is PrintPal for Claude?
PrintPal for Claude is a free remote MCP connector from PrintPal that gives Claude a full 3D printing workbench. Claude can search PrintPal's community library of printable models, calculate print costs and calibration values, read and cite PrintPal's vendor-neutral troubleshooting wiki, follow Arduino and ESP32 build guides, and hand off to the AI CAD agent or AI 3D generator with a prefilled prompt.
It is one URL, https://printpal.io/mcp, with no OAuth and no account. The same server works as a custom connector in Claude.ai, in Claude Desktop, and in Claude Code with a single claude mcp add command.
Updated October 27, 2026 · Made by PrintPal
At a glance
- Works in
- Claude.ai, Claude Desktop, Claude mobile, Claude Code
- Price
- Free. AI 3D generation uses PrintPal credits and is optional.
- Account needed
- No
- Connector URL
https://printpal.io/mcp- Transport
- Streamable HTTP (remote MCP)
- Tools / prompts
- 16 tools, 3 prompts
- Registry name
io.printpal/printpal
What PrintPal for Claude can do
Answers with citations
Claude searches the PrintPal wiki, fetches the full article and cites the URL, so fixes for stringing, warping or thermal runaway come with a source.
Printable model search
Find STL, 3MF and OBJ models by keyword with author, license and stats, then open the model page to download.
Four 3D printing calculators
Print cost and selling price, filament weight and spool remaining, magic layer heights, and hotend volumetric flow.
Three ready-made prompts
troubleshoot_print, design_a_part and plan_a_build give Claude a structured starting point for the three most common maker jobs.
Claude Code in one command
claude mcp add connects the server to Claude Code, so it can look up models, docs and print costs while it works on your repo.
CAD and AI 3D hand-off
Claude turns a part description into a CAD brief for PrintPal's AI CAD agent, or hands an organic shape to the AI 3D generator.
How to add PrintPal to Claude
- On claude.ai, open Settings → Connectors and click Add custom connector.
- Enter the name PrintPal and the URL
https://printpal.io/mcp. Leave the OAuth fields empty and click Add. - In a chat, open the tools menu and make sure PrintPal is switched on. Connectors added on claude.ai also appear in Claude Desktop.
- Ask something like "Use PrintPal to find a printable Raspberry Pi 5 case with a fan mount."
Custom connectors are available on Claude plans that support them; on Team and Enterprise plans an owner may need to add the connector first.
Run this once in your terminal. Add --scope user to make it available in every project.
claude mcp add --transport http printpal https://printpal.io/mcpOnly needed if you want Claude to run AI 3D generation on your credits.
claude mcp add --transport http printpal https://printpal.io/mcp \
--header "Authorization: Bearer pp_live_YOUR_KEY"For setups that use claude_desktop_config.json instead of connectors. Requires Node.js 18+.
{
"mcpServers": {
"printpal": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://printpal.io/mcp"]
}
}
}Prompts to try in Claude
The 16 PrintPal tools
Every AI assistant integration exposes the same tools from the PrintPal MCP server. Fifteen are read-only; only generate_3d_model can spend credits, and only when you add your own API key.
| Tool | What it does | API key? |
|---|---|---|
search_3d_models | Find printable STL, 3MF and OBJ models in the PrintPal community library, with thumbnail, author, license and stats. | No |
get_3d_model | Details, files, license and the download link for one model. | No |
calculate_print_cost | Material, electricity, machine wear, labor and failure allowance, plus a suggested selling price. | No |
calculate_filament_usage | Filament grams to metres to cost, and how much is left on a spool. | No |
calculate_layer_heights | Z-axis "magic number" layer heights for your printer's leadscrew and stepper. | No |
calculate_volumetric_flow | Check a print speed and layer height against your hotend's volumetric flow limit. | No |
search_learning_resources | Search the vendor-neutral 3D printing wiki, OpenSCAD and AI CAD docs, video tutorials and Academy courses. | No |
search_build_guides | Find Arduino / ESP32 + 3D-printed project guides by idea, difficulty, time and cost. | No |
get_build_guide | Bill of materials, downloadable files and every step of one build guide. | No |
design_parametric_cad | Turn a part description into a precise CAD brief and a link that opens PrintPal's AI CAD agent prefilled. | No |
generate_3d_model | AI text-to-3D and image-to-3D. Without a key it returns a prefilled link to printpal.io; with your API key it starts the generation on your credits. | Optional |
check_3d_generation | Poll a generation started with your key and get the download link. | Yes |
find_3d_printing_tool | Recommend the right free PrintPal browser tool or calculator for a task. | No |
get_pricing_and_plans | What is free, how credits work and which plan fits. | No |
search | Search everything on PrintPal at once: models, tools, wiki, docs, videos, guides and courses. | No |
fetch | Read any search result in full (for example a wiki article) so the assistant can quote and cite it. | No |
Built-in prompts
Clients that support MCP prompts (Claude, Cursor and others) list these as one-click starting points.
| Prompt | Arguments | What it does |
|---|---|---|
troubleshoot_print | problem, printer, material | Diagnoses a failed print and cites the PrintPal wiki articles it used. |
design_a_part | what, dimensions | Checks the library for an existing model, otherwise drafts a CAD brief and opens the AI CAD agent. |
plan_a_build | idea, skill_level | Finds a matching build guide with its bill of materials and steps. |
Who uses PrintPal for Claude
Diagnosing failed prints
Describe the symptom, printer and filament and get ordered fixes with real values and a source link.
Hardware projects in Claude Code
Pull a build guide, its firmware notes and enclosure files while Claude writes the code.
Quoting print jobs
Turn slicer numbers into a cost breakdown and selling price, with your own electricity and spool prices.
Designing functional parts
Check whether a part already exists before Claude drafts a dimensioned CAD brief.
Privacy and how it works
What PrintPal for Claude sends, stores and never touches.
- No account, sign-in or OAuth. The server is public and stateless, so nothing is stored between calls.
- PrintPal only sees the tool inputs the assistant sends (search text, calculator numbers, a model id). It does not see your conversation.
- No personal data is collected and nothing is used for AI training.
- Links back to printpal.io carry a
utm_sourcetag so we can see which assistant sent the visit; no identifier is attached. - Your optional API key is only sent to printpal.io and only unlocks credit-based AI generation.
Frequently asked questions about PrintPal for Claude
What is the PrintPal connector for Claude?
It is a free remote MCP server at https://printpal.io/mcp that you add to Claude as a custom connector. It gives Claude 16 tools for 3D printing: model search, print cost and calibration calculators, a cited troubleshooting wiki, Arduino and ESP32 build guides, and hand-offs to PrintPal's AI CAD agent and AI 3D generator.
How do I add a custom connector to Claude?
On claude.ai open Settings, then Connectors, click Add custom connector, enter the name PrintPal and the URL https://printpal.io/mcp, and click Add. No OAuth client ID or secret is needed.
Does PrintPal work with Claude Code?
Yes. Run: claude mcp add --transport http printpal https://printpal.io/mcp. Add --scope user to use it in every project, or --header "Authorization: Bearer <key>" to let Claude Code run AI 3D generation with your PrintPal credits.
Does it work in Claude Desktop?
Yes. Connectors you add on claude.ai are available in Claude Desktop. If you manage servers in claude_desktop_config.json instead, use npx mcp-remote https://printpal.io/mcp as shown on this page.
Is the PrintPal connector free?
Yes. All search, calculator, wiki and build-guide tools are free and anonymous. AI 3D generation either returns a link to printpal.io or, with your API key, uses your PrintPal credits.
What are the PrintPal prompts in Claude?
The server ships three MCP prompts: troubleshoot_print (problem, printer, material), design_a_part (what, dimensions) and plan_a_build (idea, skill level). Claude lists them in the prompt menu so you can start a structured request in one click.
Can Claude write OpenSCAD with PrintPal?
Claude can write OpenSCAD itself, and PrintPal adds the OpenSCAD and design-for-printing docs it can search and cite. For a ready parametric part with a live preview and STL, 3MF or STEP export, the design_parametric_cad tool opens PrintPal's AI CAD agent with Claude's brief.
What data does PrintPal receive from Claude?
Only the tool arguments Claude sends, such as a search phrase or calculator inputs. The server is stateless, does not see your conversation, collects no personal data and does not use requests for training.
Get PrintPal for Claude
A remote MCP connector for Claude.ai, Claude Desktop and Claude Code with models, calculators, a cited wiki and CAD hand-off. Free to install. See all integrations.