1. Introduction
THE3DSHELF (“we,” “us,” or “our”) operates the website at the3dshelf.com (the “Service”). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your information when you use the Service.
THE3DSHELF is a blog and content platform dedicated to 3D printing ideas, product showcases, and buying guides. We are the data controller for information processed through the Service. By using the Service, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
If you have questions, contact us at contact@the3dshelf.com.
2. Information We Collect
(a) Information You Provide Directly
- If you subscribe to our newsletter, we collect your email address.
- If you submit a contact form, we collect your name, email address, and message content.
- If you leave a comment, we collect your name, email address, and comment content.
(b) Information Collected Automatically
- Page views & navigation data — logged for analytics to understand how visitors interact with our content.
- Search queries — if you use our on-site search, queries may be logged for analytics purposes.
- Server logs — standard HTTP request logs including IP address, browser User-Agent, referrer URL, and pages visited.
- Cookies — used for analytics, advertising, and session management. See Section 6 for details.
(c) Stored Locally on Your Device
Certain preferences (such as theme or display settings) may be stored in your browser’s localStorage. This data remains entirely on your device and is never transmitted to our servers.
3. How We Use Your Information
- Service operation — to deliver blog content, buying guides, and 3D printing ideas.
- Newsletter — to send you our latest articles, print ideas, and updates (only if you have subscribed).
- Comments — to display and manage reader comments on our posts.
- Analytics — to understand traffic trends, popular content, and improve the overall user experience.
- Advertising — to display advertisements via Google AdSense.
- Security — to detect and prevent abuse, spam, and unauthorized access.
- Legal compliance — to comply with applicable laws, regulations, or legal processes.
4. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)
If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or the United Kingdom, we process your personal data under the following legal bases:
- Contract performance — processing necessary to deliver the Service and manage your newsletter subscription.
- Consent — for advertising cookies and personalized ads, obtained via the consent dialog.
- Legitimate interest — for analytics, security monitoring, and service improvement, balanced against your privacy rights.
- Legal obligation — when processing is required to comply with applicable laws.
5. Data Sharing & Disclosure
We do not sell your personal data. We may share information in the following circumstances:
(a) Service Providers
We use third-party services to operate the Service:
- Cloudflare — hosting, CDN, DDoS protection, and analytics
- Google — AdSense advertising and Analytics
- MakerMarket — when you click through to purchase a featured product, you will be directed to MakerMarket’s platform, which has its own privacy policy
- Newsletter provider — your email address is stored with our email service provider solely for the purpose of sending newsletters
(b) Third-Party Links & MakerMarket
When you click on a product link or a “Buy on MakerMarket” button, you leave THE3DSHELF and are directed to a third-party platform. Each platform has its own privacy policy governing how they handle your data. THE3DSHELF is not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party platforms.
(c) Advertising
Google AdSense may set cookies on your device to serve and measure advertisements. See Section 7 for details.
(d) Law Enforcement
We may disclose your information if required by law, subpoena, court order, or other legal process, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.
6. Cookies & Tracking
(a) Essential Cookies
We may set cookies strictly necessary for the Service to function, such as session management for comment forms.
(b) localStorage
We may use browser localStorage to store your preferences (such as theme or display mode). localStorage is not a cookie — it is never automatically transmitted to our servers and remains entirely on your device.
(c) Advertising Cookies
Google AdSense and its partners may set cookies to serve advertisements and measure ad performance. These cookies may collect information about your browsing activity across websites.
(d) Analytics
We use analytics tools (such as Google Analytics or Cloudflare Web Analytics) to collect aggregate performance data and understand how visitors interact with our content.
7. Google AdSense & Consent
We use Google AdSense to display advertisements. We implement Google Consent Mode V2 to respect your privacy preferences.
- If you are located in the EEA, United Kingdom, or Switzerland, a consent dialog will be presented before any advertising cookies are set. You may accept, decline, or manage your preferences.
- If you decline consent, Google will serve non-personalized ads that do not rely on tracking cookies.
- You can manage or withdraw your cookie preferences at any time through your browser settings.
For more information about how Google uses data from partner sites, visit Google’s Privacy & Terms.
8. Third-Party Links
THE3DSHELF contains links to third-party websites, including but not limited to:
- BambuLab — bambulab.com
- Creality — creality.com
- Printables — printables.com
- MakerWorld — makerworld.com
- Thingiverse — thingiverse.com
We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party platforms. We encourage you to review their respective privacy policies before making any purchase or submitting any personal information.
9. Data Retention
- Newsletter subscriptions — retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
- Contact form submissions — retained for up to 12 months, then deleted.
- Comment data — retained for as long as the associated post is published, or until you request deletion.
- Server logs — IP addresses in server logs are retained for up to 90 days, then anonymized or deleted.
- localStorage data — stored on your device and controlled entirely by you. You can clear it at any time via your browser settings.
10. Your Rights
Under the GDPR (EEA/UK Residents)
If you are located in the EEA or United Kingdom, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Access — request a copy of your personal data.
- Rectification — request correction of inaccurate data.
- Erasure — request deletion of your personal data.
- Data portability — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
- Restriction — request that we limit processing of your data.
- Object — object to processing based on legitimate interest.
- Withdraw consent — withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.
- Lodge a complaint — file a complaint with your local data protection authority.
Under the CCPA (California Residents)
If you are a California resident, you have the following rights:
- Right to know — request what personal information we collect and how it is used.
- Right to delete — request deletion of your personal information.
- Right to opt-out — we do not sell personal information, so no opt-out mechanism is required.
- Non-discrimination — we will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at contact@the3dshelf.com. We will respond within the timeframe required by applicable law.
11. Children’s Privacy
The Service is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 in compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13, we will promptly delete it.
Users between the ages of 13 and 18 may use the Service only with the consent and supervision of a parent or legal guardian.
If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us at contact@the3dshelf.com.
12. International Data Transfers
The Service may be hosted on infrastructure that processes data in countries outside of your jurisdiction. If you are located in the EEA or United Kingdom, your data may be transferred to the United States or other countries. We rely on Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) and other legally recognized transfer mechanisms as adopted by our service providers to ensure adequate protection for international data transfers.
13. Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your information, including:
- Encryption in transit — all connections use HTTPS/TLS encryption.
- Infrastructure protection — Cloudflare provides DDoS mitigation, Web Application Firewall (WAF), and bot management.
- No password storage — we do not store user passwords. Any account-based features use OAuth 2.0 or tokenized authentication.
- Security headers — the Service uses Content Security Policy (CSP), HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS), and related security headers.
While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.
14. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated “Last updated” date. Your continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.
For material changes that significantly affect how we handle your personal information, we will make reasonable efforts to notify you via email (if you have subscribed to our newsletter) or through a prominent notice on the Service.
15. Contact
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your data rights, please contact us at:
For information about how we handle your use of the Service, please review our Terms of Service.