Skip to main content
The Printed Bay – Custom 3D Printing Service ChicagoTHE PRINTED BAY
Track order

Terms of Service

Last updated: June 23, 2026

1. The agreement

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of The Printed Bay (the "Service"), operated by TETECARE LLC, an Illinois limited liability company ("we", "us", "our"). By uploading a file, requesting a quote, placing an order, or paying an invoice, you agree to these Terms and enter into a binding contract with us. If you do not agree, do not use the Service. You must be at least 18 years old (or the age of majority where you live) and able to form a binding contract to place an order. If you order on behalf of a business or other entity, you represent that you are authorized to bind it to these Terms.

2. What we do

We provide on-demand 3D printing services, primarily resin printing on hobby-class equipment, from our facility in Des Plaines, Illinois. Output quality is appropriate for prototypes, tabletop pieces, and decorative parts. Prints are not certified for safety-critical, structural, food-contact, medical, or load-bearing applications.

3. Customer responsibility for uploaded files

You represent and warrant that:

  • You own the intellectual property in any file you upload, or you have explicit license to have it printed.
  • The file does not infringe any third-party copyright, trademark, patent, or other right.
  • The model does not depict or enable the manufacture of: functional firearms or firearm components; controlled weapons; counterfeit currency, government identification, or trademarked logos used to deceive; child sexual abuse material; or anything illegal under applicable U.S., Illinois, or local law.
  • You will not request prints intended for end-use in safety-critical applications (medical devices, automotive structural parts, aerospace, life-support).

We print what you provide. You are solely responsible for your model's design, dimensional accuracy, scale, wall thickness, tolerances, clearances, and fitness for your intended use. We print the file you provide essentially as-is. We do not engineer, inspect, repair, re-mesh, or validate your model for function, fit, or safety unless you purchase a design service from us in writing. If your file contains a design flaw, we are not responsible for the resulting print.

We reserve the right to refuse, cancel, or decline to fulfill any order at our sole discretion. If we decline an order you have already paid for, we will refund it to the original payment method.

4. Intellectual property and showcase license

You retain all intellectual property rights in the files you upload. We claim no ownership over your designs and we will not sell your files or distribute your source files to third parties. We use uploaded files to fulfill your order and may retain a copy for the duration of the order plus a reasonable archival period (see Privacy Policy).

Showcase license. Unless you opt out, you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to photograph items we print for you and to display anonymized images and rotating 3D previews of those models as examples of our work — for instance, in a "what others are printing" gallery, in marketing, or on social media. We will not attach your name or identifying details, and we will remove any item promptly on request to orders@theprintedbay.com. Because you warranted above that you hold the rights to your file, you are responsible for ensuring it may be shown this way; we will not knowingly feature third-party or licensed intellectual property.

5. Quotes and pricing

Prices are in U.S. dollars. Automated quotes generated by the site are estimates based on volume and material, and are valid until you submit payment. We may issue a corrected quote if a model has significant complexity, support requirements, or post-processing needs not captured by the automated estimator. In that case we will email you the revised quote and the order will not proceed until you accept it. We also reserve the right to correct obvious pricing or typographical errors, even after an order is placed; if a correction materially raises the price, we will contact you first and you may cancel for a full refund.

6. Payment

Payment is processed by Stripe. We never see or store your card details. Default policy is full payment at the time of order; for larger custom orders we may use a 50% deposit / 50% before-shipment structure (see your specific invoice for details). Payment in full is required before we begin production.

7. Print quality, tolerances, and appearance

3D printing is an additive process with inherent variability. By placing an order you acknowledge and accept that:

  • Dimensional accuracy is approximate. Expect tolerances on the order of ±0.5 mm, and larger on big, thin, or tall parts, along with possible shrinkage, warping, or curl — especially with resin and on large flat areas.
  • Visible layer lines, support marks, contact points, seams, and minor surface blemishes are normal characteristics of the process and are not defects.
  • Colors are approximate and may differ from on-screen renders, product photos, or between print batches.
  • Finishes are prototype and hobby grade unless a specific finishing service is agreed in writing.
  • Resin and certain plastics can be brittle, may degrade with UV or heat exposure, and are not food-safe, skin-safe, dishwasher-safe, or weatherproof unless we specifically confirm otherwise for your order.

These characteristics are normal for the process and are not, by themselves, grounds for a refund.

8. Production and shipping

Typical turnaround is 3-5 business days from payment confirmation to ship date. Shipping is via USPS or other carriers at the customer's expense. Title and risk of loss pass to you when we hand the package to the carrier. Delivery dates are estimates; we are not liable for carrier delays, or for loss or damage in transit, although we will help you file a claim with the carrier.

9. Refunds and reprints

See our Refund Policy for the full terms. Summary:

  • Before printing begins: full refund on request.
  • Print failure on our equipment: we re-print at our cost.
  • Customer's model has unresolvable issues we couldn't catch beforehand: we contact you for a decision before charging.
  • After shipping: no refund except in cases of demonstrable defect; we may at our discretion offer a reprint.

10. Cancellation, unpaid, and unclaimed orders

  • You may cancel for a full refund any time before we begin production. Once production has started, custom and made-to-order items are non-cancellable and non-refundable except as stated in our Refund Policy.
  • Quotes and unpaid invoices do not reserve production capacity. If an invoice is unpaid, we are not obligated to begin or hold printing, and we may close the request after a reasonable period.
  • If an order goes unpaid, or a finished item is not paid for, picked up, or its shipping is not paid, within 30 days after we notify you, we may treat the order as abandoned and recycle or dispose of the printed item and delete the associated files, without further liability and without refund. Any deposit or partial payment is forfeited to cover materials and labor already expended.

11. Disclaimer of warranties

EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY STATED IN THESE TERMS OR OUR REFUND POLICY, THE SERVICE AND ALL PRINTED ITEMS ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, WE DISCLAIM ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. We do not warrant that any print will meet your requirements or be suitable for any use beyond hobby, prototype, and decorative purposes.

12. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, our total aggregate liability for any claim arising out of or relating to the Service or any order is limited to the amount you actually paid us for the specific order at issue. We are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, including loss of profits, data, goodwill, or business opportunity, even if we have been advised of the possibility. You assume all risk and liability for any use of a printed item outside hobby, prototype, and decorative use. Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations, so portions of this section may not apply to you.

13. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless TETECARE LLC and its members, officers, and employees from and against any claim, demand, loss, liability, damage, cost, or expense (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to: your violation of these Terms; your breach of any representation or warranty, including file ownership and prohibited-use; your infringement of any third-party right; or any injury, death, or property damage caused by a printed item when used outside hobby, prototype, and decorative use.

14. Time limit for claims

Any claim arising out of or relating to the Service or an order must be brought within one (1) year after the claim arose, or it is permanently barred, except where applicable law prohibits such a shortened period.

15. Force majeure

We are not liable for any delay or failure to perform caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including equipment failure, material or supply shortages, power or internet outages, acts of God, fire, flood, severe weather, labor disputes, carrier delays, or government action.

16. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. The "Last updated" date above will change when we do. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance.

17. Governing law and venue

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Illinois, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles. Any dispute will be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Cook County, Illinois, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts.

18. General

If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions stay in effect, and the unenforceable provision will be enforced to the maximum extent permitted by law. Our failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver of it. You may not assign or transfer these Terms without our prior written consent; we may assign them in connection with a sale or transfer of our business. These Terms, together with the Refund Policy and Privacy Policy, are the entire agreement between you and us regarding the Service and supersede any prior discussions. Section headings are for convenience only and do not affect interpretation.

19. Contact

Questions about these Terms? Reach us via the contact form on the homepage, or email orders@theprintedbay.com.