Etsy has revised its guidelines for 3D-printed products and will now prohibit the sale of items based on external design templates. The change affects all items that are produced using computer-aided tools such as 3D printers, laser cutters or cutting plotters. Only products based on the seller’s own design will be permitted.
The adjustment is part of the “Creativity Standards” introduced in July 2024, which define what Etsy accepts as homemade. Until the end of May 2025, the company allowed the use of templates as long as a commercial license was available. This passage has now been removed without Etsy publicly announcing it.
Criticism has come primarily from users who use legally licensed models from platforms such as Thangs or Printables. For many, this represents an additional hurdle, as uploading images that do not originate from the seller themselves is also prohibited. The first image of a listed product must now show the actual, finished object – not placeholder graphics or generic renderings.
Supporters welcome the tightening, pointing out that it relieves the platform of identical or only slightly modified products and increases the visibility of original work.
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