Questions

The stuff people ask us

Ordering

How do I actually order something?

Two ways. Pick something from the shop and hit "Order this." Send anything through the custom request form. Either way we confirm price and timing before anything is committed, and you pay when you approve the quote.

How do I pay?

Card, PayPal, or Venmo. Cash works if you are picking up. For custom work we send a simple invoice with your quote. Nothing is charged until you approve it.

How long does it take?

Most shelf items and small customs are ready in 3 to 7 days. Party packs need about two weeks so we can print, personalize, and package everything. Business jobs are typically 2 to 5 days after quote approval. In a real pinch, ask about rush.

Do you ship?

Yes, USPS anywhere in the US at standard rates. But most of our customers are local, and pickup in Wentzville costs nothing and is usually faster.

Custom prints

I found something online. Can you really print it?

Usually, yes. Paste the link into the request form. We track down the model, confirm it can print well, check that the design is licensed for us to print, and quote you. If the design can't be printed legally or well, we'll tell you and suggest the closest thing that can.

Can you print Pokémon / Disney / Mario / Bluey?

No, and we want to be straight about why: selling prints of trademarked characters is illegal without a license from the owner, no matter who does it. Shops that do it anyway are gambling with takedowns and lawsuits.

What we can do is often better: original dragons, creatures, and designs in your kid's favorite character's colors, personalized with their name. The theme comes through, and it's a design that's actually theirs.

What's the minimum for custom work?

$20. Below that, the quoting takes longer than the printing. Shelf items don't have a minimum.

The prints themselves

What are they made of? Is it safe for kids?

Our standard material is PLA, a plastic made primarily from corn starch, printed in-house. It's sturdy, lightweight, and the standard for printed toys. Small parts are still small parts though, so use normal judgment with kids under three. For outdoor or rough-duty items we step up to PETG or other materials.

How durable are they?

Articulated toys are built to be played with, and they survive backpacks, siblings, and car floors well. They don't love two things: extreme heat (don't leave them on a dashboard in July) and determined dogs. If a print fails from a defect in normal use within 30 days, we replace it, no drama.

Can I pick the colors?

Yes, that's the fun part. Every piece is printed to order, so you pick the colors when you order. The product page shows what's on the shelf right now. If you want something that isn't there, say so in your order: filament is a day away, and we'd rather buy a spool than send you the wrong thing.

What does "licensed design" mean on your tags?

Every design we sell is either our own or printed under a paid commercial license from the independent artist who made it. We are an authorized seller for Cinderwing3D and Flexi Factory, two of the studios whose work you will see most on this site, and we hold merchant licenses covering the rest of the catalog. We keep the paperwork, and we are happy to show it. That is the difference between supporting an artist and photocopying their homework. It also means nothing you buy here is going to turn into somebody else's legal problem. We do not print trademarked or copyrighted characters, logos, or branded designs without authorization from the rights holder.

Local stuff

Where's pickup?

In Wentzville, near downtown. We'll send the exact spot and a time window with your order confirmation.

Do you do school, team, or church events?

Yes. Bulk favors, fundraiser items, live-demo booths at fairs. Send us the date and what you're thinking.

What does shipping cost?

A flat $5.95 however much you order, and free once the order passes $35. Local pickup in Wentzville is always free.

Adding more pieces never adds postage. A small parcel costs the post office the same whether there's one flexi in it or a dozen, so we don't pretend otherwise and charge you per item. If you're ordering a few things, put them in one cart and they ship together.

Who's behind Dakota 3D Prints?

One person and a couple of printers in Wentzville, Missouri. The shop is named after Dakota, the best dog there ever was.

It operates under BTK AI Solutions, the same small company that helps local businesses automate the boring parts of their work. That's the paperwork answer. The practical one is that every print is made a few miles from you and handed over by the person who made it.

Didn't find your answer?

Ask through the request form and a human answers within one business day.

Ask us anything