# Save volume rendering as STL file

**URL:** <https://discourse.slicer.org/t/save-volume-rendering-as-stl-file/524>\
**Category:** Support\
**Tags:** segmentation, faq\
**Created:** [June 19, 2017, 5:03am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/save-volume-rendering-as-stl-file/524 "2017-06-19T05:03:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 4

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lassoan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/lassoan/32/13_2.png) [@lassoan](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/lassoan)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 6:08pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/save-volume-rendering-as-stl-file/524/4 "2017-06-19T18:08:20Z")

</div>

Volume rendering displays a semi-transparent cloud, but for 3D printing you need hard boundaries that exactly define what is inside/outside. Finding exact boundaries is often a difficult task - that’s why all the segmentation tools are developed.

Typically the issue is at low-contrast regions. You may need to apply smoothing, apply manual corrections, or use semi-automatic tools to have nice, smooth, and correct boundaries in these regions.

---

_[View the full topic](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/save-volume-rendering-as-stl-file/524)._