Introduction: 3D Printing a Mask of Your Own Face / 3D Printed Facemask

About: Enthusiastic tinkerer with a passion for additive manufacturing and education!

Need a facemask? Why not 3D print a mask of your own face!

Full video here: https://youtu.be/iTilxorVIp0

This mask uses a fabric liner which provides a degree of filtration as well as allowing you to use the over-the-ear loops attached. It's not a substitute for a fabric or cloth mask, but it's a fun project to engage your 3D printing skills!

The scan was done with an Artec EVA, a professional scanner typically used in prototyping and reverse engineering. You can find many scanning apps that are inexpensive to use on your phone; I recommend TRNIO as a great alternative to a hardware scanner for quick scans where mesh accuracy is less important than cost.

Programs used:

Materials needed:

Step 1: Plane Cut Using Meshmixer

Using Meshmixer's Plane Cut tool, we can isolate the segment of the face that we want to keep.

In addition to removing geometry below the neck and ears, I also added a 45 degree angled cut based off the jaw line. This allows me to print the model as a shell without any support material, which greatly speeds up the overall print time.

Step 2: Extruding Surface to Solid Using Blender

Once we have a surface, we need to convert it into a solid body for printing. Most slicer software won't accept a simple surface, and those that can will likely try to repair it by adding solid geometry inside the face.

Using the Extrude command in Blender, we're able to add thickness to the surface, converting it into a solid body. I extruded the surface in the direction of the face mask, which creates a uniform thickness.

Step 3: Virtual Test Fit in Meshmixer

Before printing the model, you can do a virtual test fit by opening both the mask and the original scan geometry.


I opened both in Meshmixer and applied different materials, which allowed me to see what the model will look like after printing.

Step 4: Print Model!

I printed the model using Prusaslicer on a Prusa MK3S using AmazonBasics Pearl White PLA. Without supports, it printed in about 5 hours (at .2mm layer height).

The model has a thin band of contact area with the bed of printer, so take your time calibrating before attempting this print!

Step 5: Try It On!

Now that your mask is finished, you can try it on and see how it fits! if the virtual fit was pretty close, then the final model should be good to go! I used a fabric liner on mine to provide some degree of filtration, and it also let me use the over-the-ear loops attached to the mask.

Good luck, and feel free to shoot me a message on Twitter if you make one yourself!