STL
S
STL
Definition
Stereolithography file format: describes only the surface geometry of a 3D object using triangulated surfaces. It is the most widely used format for 3D printing.
STL in 3D Printing
STL has been the de facto standard for 3D printing since the 1980s. It stores geometry as a collection of triangular facets with normal vectors. While simple and universally supported, it lacks color, material, and texture information, leading to the development of newer formats like 3MF and AMF.