While some may find them frightening, you have to admit that there are plenty of adorable and even majestic shark depictions out there.
3D model designers seem to agree, as they’re always looking for ways to integrate these massive creatures into their designs, resulting in quite a collection of prints. A quick search for these models and you will find everything from cute baby sharks to accurate recreations of the many different shark species.
We’ve rounded up a promising selection of shark models that we think you will enjoy printing. If you’re a fan of sharks, then these models are for you. If not, take a moment to browse and you may see these massive fish in a whole new light.
And if you see one or more of the models but your printer’s afraid of those chompers, check out Craftcloud. In just a few steps, your mighty shark will be on its way to being printed and then shipped your way.
Now, let’s dive in and take a look at some awesome shark 3D prints!
Flexi Shark
Articulate animals have become a staple in 3D printing, with designers coming up with intricate and adorable flexible prints. This tiger shark model is no expectation. Similar to the popular articulated shark from McGybeer, the entire body is connected with a print-in-place articulate design, allowing each segment to move freely. This gives the print an authentic shark-like swim, swaying side to side.
Unlike similar models, though, the head of the shark will need to be printed separately and pressed into place. This gives it an optimal print orientation for maximum quality. The designer recommends using a print speed of 60 mm/s (if you’re using PLA) to keep the body segments from wobbling too much during printing.
If the tiger shark isn’t your style but you still want a 3D printed ocean predator, the designer has also shared a few other variations, like the hammerhead shark.
- Who designed it? 3D_FlexSeeds
- How printable/popular is it? You’ll find 30 makes for this flexible shark, including rainbow and glow-in-the-dark prints.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Pencil Holder
If you’re looking to put some order to your desk with some shark-themed prints, a pencil holder is a great place to start. This model will give you the perfect place to store your pens, pencils, markers, and other desk essentials. It doubles as a toothbrush holder, as well. And for the whole setup, you can complete the collection by printing your own shark pencil sharpener.
The model prints in two separate parts that will need to be glued together. This allows for simple color swapping to get the perfect shark colors. Supports are needed to make sure the teeth print correctly, with the designer recommending tree supports.
Makers have experimented with many different colors for their sharks, so if you’re not sure what combination to go for, check out the makes for some inspiration.
- Who designed it? Arthalino Design
- How printable/popular is it? About 765 people have downloaded this model so far, with many of the leaving great reviews and images of their makes.
- Where to find it? MakerWorld
Keychain
Take your shark with your wherever you go after printing your own shark keychain!
This adorable shark model follows the traditional design of articulate prints, laying flat against the build plate with plenty of freedom in side-to-side movement. The print-in-place design features a hinged jaw that can open and close so your shark is always ready for its next meal.
The model has been through a few iterations, each making it more durable and easier to print. Recent reviews suggest that the design is in good shape and is easy to print. Like other smaller flexible prints, you will want to use a higher infill percentage – 15% or more – to give the keychain some extra durability.
- Who designed it? HardPrint
- How printable/popular is it? 10 makers have showed off their shark keychains in a variety of colors and materials.
- Where to find it? Printables
Coaster Puzzle
It’s always nice to find a fun print that’s also functional. This set of shark prints make up a nice little puzzle, with every shark slotting into place to create a functioning coaster. The model is a great print to keep on any coffee table for kids and adults alike to enjoy. Print all of the pieces in the same color for a uniform coaster or try mixing different color sharks to create personalized sets.
The model is a very simple and fast print, making it a good choice for end-of-spool use. When it comes to material choice, keep in mind the types of drinks that you place on these coasters – hot drinks and PLA won’t mix well. For more robust coasters, consider using materials that can withstand more heat, such as ABS. You can even color-coordinate your coaster sets so that you and guests know which ones to use with which drinks.
- Who designed it? aMaz
- How printable/popular is it? So far, 8 makers have shared their colorful versions, while the model has been downloaded around 300 times.
- Where to find it? Printables
3D Puzzle
If you’re more interested in a three-dimensional puzzle, this model may be what you’re looking for. Each piece slides together to create a mighty shark that you will definitely want to display. Luckily, the designer has included a display stand for this very reason.
Each piece prints completely flat. You will want to use a lower layer height for a smoother surface, and at least three walls for optimal part strength. To ensure that everything can fit together just right, the designer included a print profile with an XY contour compensation value of -0.08mm for the circular pieces.
If putting everything together is proving to be a challenge, you can find a fully-assembled model for download as well. Keep in mind that this version isn’t to be printed, though, but it’s meant as a little cheat sheet to help you figure out where the pieces go.
- Who designed it? Krasnovsky
- How printable/popular is it? According to MakerWorld, 70 makers have printed and assembled this mighty swimmer, while around 200 have downloaded the design.
- Where to find it? MakerWorld
Wall Art
Decorative wall art pieces are becoming more and more popular with 3D printing, as they’re used to add personality to any room in the house.
This wall shark model gives the illusion of the mighty predator coming in and out of the wall. The two-piece print comes with holes for mounting, as well as a template print that you can use to line up the holes prior to setting up the display.
The designer recommends printing the head and tail vertically, rather than flat against the build plate. This is to prevent support material from sticking inside of the mouth and potentially ruining the quality of the teeth. You can find pre-oriented models for download and instructions for proper support placement in the model description.
- Who designed it? Voxel3
- How printable/popular is it? Over 10,000 people have downloaded this shark art piece, with over 60 makes shared across both websites.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse, Printables
Tiger Shark Clip
For more practical shark-themed models, chip clips are the way to go. 3D printed clips are very easy to make and have a wide range of applications, from keeping chip bags closed to hanging laundry on the clothesline. This tiger shark clip gives you all of that versatility in a fun little form.
The designer was inspired by muzz64’s shark clip to create a larger model that addressed many of the issues with the original clip, with a wider mouth for more grip and rounded edges for more comfortable use. Comments suggest that the clip has plenty of strength in its jaws thanks to the locking mechanism.
When printing, you’ll want to disable brims to avoid locking up the moving parts.
- Who designed it? Rikkers
- How printable/popular is it? You’ll find 16 makes of the shark clips swimming around on Printables. There’s even a remix for a refrigerator magnet clip!
- Where to find it? Printables
Bookmarker
Avid readers will definitely find this next model very useful, if not amusing.
This shark bookmark can not only help you keep track of where you are in your current book of choice, but it can also be used as a fun decoration for any texts in your bookshelf to create a sea of knowledge-hungry sharks.
The bookmark prints completely flat and uses very little material. The designer recommends using the ironing setting to get a smooth surface finish. And if you want to give the fin and body different colors and you don’t have a multicolor setup, the file can be split and printed separately, then glued together.
- Who designed it? blecheimer
- How printable/popular is it? Over 16,000 downloads and 6 makes of this bookmark show that it is worth a print or two.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Spiral Art
If you want some cool shark models to decorate the house with, this whirlpool design is a great display piece that showcases 3D printed art perfectly. The flowing water motif looks great in just about any filament choice, something that’s especially evident when browsing the makes. You’ll find a similar shark puzzle by the same designer if you really like the aesthetics.
You can display the shark alone or with the included stand, which snaps onto the model without any glue.
Because of the many overhangs, which will benefit from additional cooling, the designer recommends opening the enclosure (if you’ve got an enclosed printer). Additionally, the designer states that they decreased the Z distance of the supports to 0.1 mm. This gives the supports a better hold on the model and eliminates the chances of the nose separating from the head, which some makers struggled with.
- Who designed it? Sevro
- How printable/popular is it? According to MakerWorld, 1,600 makers have printed this cool shark, while almost 3,000 have downloaded the design.
- Where to find it? MakerWorld
Megalodon
Fans of the Sea of Thieves video game will be all too familiar with this beast of a model, as many have encountered it on their adventures on the open seas. The megalodon is a massive shark that is always ready to chase any pirates unfortunate enough to find themselves in its territory.
Remixed from a megalodon model by mordekain, the designer aimed to smooth the model so that it didn’t have as a low-poly look as the original does, as well as providing a split version. The latter is great if you want to 3D print a larger megalodon and have a smaller printer, like the Bambu Lab A1 Mini or a Prusa Mini+. It’s also a good choice if you want to minimize support use. The included printable dowels also help to align the model when assembling and provide a bit of strength to the connections.
A layer height of around 0.12 mm (or less) is recommended to keep all of the detail. That said, the designer shared in the comments that they sanded the print a few times (and used primer and filler) to obtain the stunning results seen above. This is definitely the type of print you’ll want to take your time with when painting.
- Who designed it? vexanix
- How printable/popular is it? The six makes of this model each speak of the amazing quality and ease of printing of the design.
- Where to find it? Printables
License: The text of "Shark 3D Prints: The Friendliest Models" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.