3D printed graduation gifts
with the name and the year
Print a graduation cake topper with "Class of 2027", a desk name plate for the first job, or a keychain with name and year. Each one is designed in a few minutes in the browser and printed in 20 minutes to 2 hours. For a whole class, one list of names turns into a ZIP of files.
By Philipp Baldauf · Updated September 29, 2026
The four graduation gifts worth printing
Graduation gifts with the year on them get kept. A cake topper ends up on the shelf after the party, a desk plate goes to the first office, and a keychain with "2027" is on the keys for years. All four ideas below are text, which is exactly what a name generator is good at.
You design in the 3D name generator in the browser, free and without an account. The download is an STL or 3MF, $4.99 for a single file or unlimited with a subscription (see pricing). You print it on your own printer or send it to a print service.
Ideas with sizes and print times
Typical values at 0.2 mm layer height on a Bambu Lab A1 mini or similar.
Cake topper with the year, 1 to 1.5 hours
"Class of 2027" or "Congrats Sam" on the prong base, 14 to 16 cm wide for a 20 to 25 cm cake. Letters 3 to 4 mm thick stay stiff. The birthday cake topper page has sizes per cake diameter.
Desk plate for the first job, about 1 hour
Full name in row 1, the new job title or degree in row 2, on the standing base. Poppins or Playfair Display look professional. More layouts on the desk name plate page.
Keychain with name and year, about 20 minutes
"Sam" in row 1 and "2027" in row 2 on the keychain base, which puts both rows on one plate with a ring hole. 5 to 6 cm long, about 5 mm thick in total.
A set for the whole class, a few evenings
One keychain or tag per student, the same font and colours for everyone. Bulk export turns a list of names into one file per name in a single ZIP. It's part of Unlimited.
Design the topper or plate
Try "Class of 2027" in Anton, then switch the base between cake topper, standing and keychain.
Sizes, time and filament
| Gift | Base | Size | Print time | Filament |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cake topper "Class of 2027" | Cake topper with prong | 14 to 16 cm wide | 1 to 1.5 hours | 15 to 25 g |
| Desk plate, 2 rows | Standing | 15 to 18 cm wide | about 1 hour | 30 to 40 g |
| Keychain with year | Keychain | 5 to 6 cm long | about 20 minutes | 4 to 6 g |
| Class set, 25 keychains | Keychain | 5 to 6 cm each | about 3 plates of 3 hours | about 130 g |
The A1 mini bed is 18 cm, so an 18 cm desk plate is the limit there. Filament at about $20 per kilo puts even the class set under $3 in material.
Print a graduation cake topper
- 1
Type the text
One line like "Class of 2027", or two rows: "Congrats" and the name. Short lines print stiffer. A long line on a thin topper bends in the middle.
- 2
Pick a bold font
Anton and Oswald read from across the room. For a script look, Pacifico and Lobster are thick enough, and the generator joins script letters into one piece so nothing falls off in the cake.
- 3
Choose the prong base
The cake topper base with prongs gives you stakes that push into the cake. Set letter thickness to 3 to 4 mm.
- 4
Print in the school colours
The 3MF has letters and plate on separate filament slots, so Bambu Studio and OrcaSlicer open it with two colours assigned. Gold on black and white on navy both work. Without an AMS, change filament at a layer.
- 5
Wrap the prongs
PLA isn't certified food-safe and layer lines trap crumbs. Wrap the stakes in cling film or foil before they go into the cake, and take the topper off before cutting.
Single downloads or Unlimited for a class set
The maths for a class of 25 students.
| Single downloads | Unlimited | |
|---|---|---|
| Price for 25 names | 25 x $4.99 = $124.75 | $9.99 for one month |
| How you make the files | One name at a time | Paste the list, get one ZIP of up to 100 files |
| Can you sell the prints? | No, personal use | Yes, commercial use included |
| Year on each tag | In its own row | In the same line as the name, like "Sam 2027" |
Bulk export uses one line per name with shared settings, so the year goes in the same line. If you want name and year on separate rows, make those tags one by one. More on this in name keychains in bulk.
What it can't do
The generator makes text only. There is no graduation cap, diploma scroll or school logo, and you can't upload an image. For a mortarboard on top of the year you need a CAD tool like Tinkercad and a second part.
It doesn't ship prints either. If you don't have a printer, send the file to a print service and plan about two weeks before the ceremony. The options are in how to get custom 3D printed names.
More ideas for graduates
- For the teacher: a thank-you plate from the whole class, see 3D printed teacher gifts.
- Door sign for the dorm or first flat: the name in a bold font on the outline base, see the door name sign page.
- Table names for the party: one standing name per guest, the same idea as wedding table names.
- Year only: a big "2027" in Anton with no base, 4 mm thick, as a shelf piece next to the diploma.
- More occasions in our 3D printed gift ideas.
Questions people ask
What is a good 3D printed graduation gift?
A cake topper with "Class of 2027", a desk name plate for the first job, or a keychain with the name and the year. All three take 20 minutes to 1.5 hours to print and cost under $1 in filament.
How do I 3D print a graduation cake topper?
Type the text in the generator, pick a bold font and the cake topper base with prongs, and set the letters to 3 to 4 mm thick. Print it at 0.2 mm, about an hour for 15 cm. Wrap the prongs in cling film before they go into the cake.
Can I make keychains for the whole class?
Yes. With Unlimited, bulk export turns a list of up to 100 names into one file per name in a ZIP, all with the same settings. The year then goes in the same line as the name, for example "Sam 2027". 25 keychains print in about three plates on an A1 mini.
Which font works for Class of 2027?
Anton and Oswald are tall and bold, so they read well on a cake and print stiff. For a script look, Pacifico and Lobster are thick enough. Thin scripts like Great Vibes bend on a cake topper.
Is a PLA cake topper safe on a cake?
PLA isn't certified food-safe, and printed layer lines can trap bacteria. Wrap the prongs in cling film or foil, keep the topper on the cake only while it's displayed, and remove it before cutting.
Can I sell graduation keychains I print?
Only with the Unlimited plan, which includes commercial use. Single downloads are for personal use. See can you sell prints made with a generator for the details.