# Extruded text problem

**URL:** <https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/extruded-text-problem/23762>\
**Category:** Modeling Questions\
**Created:** [January 25, 2023, 5:59pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/extruded-text-problem/23762 "2023-01-25T17:59:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 10\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Cynd3d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac8455/32.png) [@Cynd3d](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Cynd3d)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2023, 5:59pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/extruded-text-problem/23762/1 "2023-01-25T17:59:42Z")

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I’m trying to design a wax seal stamp for 3D printing, and I’m having an issue with combining extruded text with the stamp base (probably due to my own ignorance about how things work in Shapr3D).

What I did was create a blank stamp base with a flat side, then created and extruded the text, then subtracted the text group from the base. It looks fine after the subtraction, but in Visualization you can see that the counters in the text have drilled through the base which is apparently hollow, and you can see the inside of the stamp base (which I thought should be solid). Is this just an anomaly of Visualization, or is my body really hollow?

https://collaborate.shapr3d.com/v/yW0z4T6tgshQMiDxDedji

Before subtraction:

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/3X/f/e/fe8a64ae20f896f75da98ad8fa8124139cbea4f1.jpeg)

After:

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/3X/9/2/92ff76963eaf82edc8ef99d6fb9a1f925e552d4f.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![Stephen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/stephen/32/16350_2.png) [@Stephen](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Stephen)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2023, 6:03pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/extruded-text-problem/23762/2 "2023-01-25T18:03:37Z")

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If you opted to “keep originals” then the original unmodified stamp should still be there in your parts list. You would then just need to delete the modified stamp.

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**Author:** ![Stephen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/stephen/32/16350_2.png) [@Stephen](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Stephen)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2023, 6:21pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/extruded-text-problem/23762/3 "2023-01-25T18:21:26Z")

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I made a short video which might help, that is if I properly understood the problem.

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**Author:** ![Cynd3d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac8455/32.png) [@Cynd3d](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Cynd3d)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2023, 6:33pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/extruded-text-problem/23762/4 "2023-01-25T18:33:59Z")

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Thank you, but I don’t think that’s quite what I’m doing, I’m subtracting the text, not adding it. For a sealing wax stamp, you need the image to be carved into the surface. And in any case, your text has no [counters](https://typedecon.com/blogs/type-glossary/counter/), so I’m not sure the problem would show up. Try subtracting text that has counters (like “0” or “9”).

I do appreciate the help!

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**Author:** ![Stephen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/stephen/32/16350_2.png) [@Stephen](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Stephen)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2023, 6:42pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/extruded-text-problem/23762/5 "2023-01-25T18:42:48Z")

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Ah yes, I understand now. In that case your stamp body won’t be hollow after the subtraction unless you shelled it, and the Visualisation you posted here looks fine to me.

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**Author:** ![Cynd3d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac8455/32.png) [@Cynd3d](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Cynd3d)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2023, 6:58pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/extruded-text-problem/23762/6 "2023-01-25T18:58:50Z")

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> [@Stephen](#):
>
> the Visualisation you posted here looks fine to me.

Really? It seems like those holes where the counters are (like in the “o”) should not be there. If you zoom way in you can see into the body, which looks hollow. I did not shell the body.

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**Author:** ![Stephen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/stephen/32/16350_2.png) [@Stephen](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Stephen)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2023, 7:10pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/extruded-text-problem/23762/7 "2023-01-25T19:10:29Z")

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I see what you mean now. It might just be a Visualisations thing as the other images you posted look correct, ie the subtracted parts are looking closed as they should be.

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**Author:** ![TigerMike](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/tigermike/32/32650_2.png) [@TigerMike](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/TigerMike)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2023, 7:48pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/extruded-text-problem/23762/8 "2023-01-25T19:48:33Z")

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Is it possible that you didn’t select those holes when doing the Visualization color?

The top pic shows your text extruded as I believe you have done. Note the 3 holes at the ‘a’, ‘&’, and ‘o’. The 2nd pic shows the entire flat with the color added. The 3rd pic merely highlights the 3 holes. Not sure if this helps.

 ![230125 extrudedText-1](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/3X/3/7/379a5384186062fb689182b06616295339fb0560.jpeg)  
 ![230125 extrudedText-2](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/3X/6/5/65eef91360e0ff59abf0eba79d88e1c0c321dad7.jpeg)  
 ![230125 extrudedText-3](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/3X/5/6/561bc8a1b5dfd3bfd66e429dd7e5708059bf579b.jpeg)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Cynd3d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac8455/32.png) [@Cynd3d](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Cynd3d)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2023, 8:18pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/extruded-text-problem/23762/9 "2023-01-25T20:18:26Z")

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You got it! It turns out I needed to drag the material to each of the walls of the cut letters as well as the counters, to fix the problem. I realize now why it looked like a window into a hollow body: I had applied a very low opacity default material previously, so I could see how far up into the body the extruded letters would land. Thanks for the help, everybody!

 ![Screen Shot 2023-01-25 at 2.15.33 PM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/3X/7/1/71d5cec3ad774ba1f2c26781394b4f9a3023e604.png)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Stephen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/stephen/32/16350_2.png) [@Stephen](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Stephen)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2023, 9:07pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/extruded-text-problem/23762/10 "2023-01-25T21:07:01Z")

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Well spotted Mike 👍