Guide · Digital workflow
How to export STL from iTero for your lab
iTero files don't come off the scanner: you export them on MyiTero.com with the Export button, as STL or PLY. Steps, Align's lab route and our portal.
Short answer
iTero scans can't be exported through the scanner's USB port: you export them on MyiTero.com, in a browser on your computer. Select the case, click Export and save an STL, the format every lab software opens; PLY is available too. Attach the files from your Downloads folder to your order in the Smile portal.
Step by step
- 01
Make sure the case is complete on the scanner
A case only shows up on MyiTero.com once its status on the scanner is Completed. If you can't find it, check that it sits under the right Company in the portal.
- 02
Log in to MyiTero.com on your computer
Sign in to MyiTero.com in a desktop browser. Align says scans can't be exported through the scanner's USB port; every file leaves through the portal.
- 03
Select the case and click Export
In the order list, select the case you're sending and click Export. A dialog opens with the file options.
- 04
Pick the restorative option and export
For restorative cases, Align points to Implants and Other Exports - Open Model in the CAD/CAM System field. If the dialog asks for a file type, choose STL, then click Export.
- 05
Grab the files from Downloads
The files land in your computer's Downloads folder. If the export stalls in the browser, Align suggests clearing the cache or switching browsers.
- 06
Attach the files to your Smile portal order
Build the order in the portal with the services and teeth (FDI numbering) and attach the files from your Downloads folder. For implant work, add the implant brand, platform and scan body model.
Which format should you export from iTero?
An iTero STL opens in any lab software and carries no color. Align also offers PLY and an STL + PLY combination in the MyiTero.com export dialog. PLY is a format that can hold color, but Align’s public pages don’t say whether iTero PLY files include it.
| format | keeps color? | when to use it |
|---|---|---|
| STL | no | crowns, implant work and night guards; the format our portal accepts |
| PLY | the format can hold color; Align doesn’t say whether iTero’s does | esthetic cases, if your lab asks; open the file first to check |
| STL + PLY | one file of each | when the lab wants STL to design on and PLY for reference |
The dialog changes with the case type. For restorative work, Align points to Implants and Other Exports - Open Model. For orthodontics, it recommends one file per arch, with the arches already oriented in occlusion (File per Arch), as STL + PLY.
How do you send a case through Align’s own route?
Align’s route sends the case from the scanner to a linked lab, together with the Rx. The lab has to be listed in the iTero Lab Locator with a Lab ID. Linking it to your scanner is done by Align’s support team, using that Lab ID, or by you in the MyiTero portal.
On iTero Lumina, no file can be added to the Rx once the order is sent, according to the manual addendum (Rev. B, January 2025). If a case shows Failed to Send, Align suggests checking the scanner’s Wi-Fi, selecting the order and tapping Add Rx.
Smile Digital Lab receives cases as orders in our dentist portal, with the files exported from MyiTero.com attached. If you’d rather send through Align’s route, ask us before your first case whether we’re linked there.
Which scan errors send an iTero file back?
On iTero, a file comes back when part of the case never made it into the scan or a software step deleted data. Two of these errors are specific to iTero Lumina, and the manual addendum warns about both.
| error | what happens | how to avoid it on iTero |
|---|---|---|
| No opposing arch or no bite | contacts and occlusion designed blind | scan both arches and the bite before you complete the case |
| Prep erased during a rescan | the margin disappears from the model | on Lumina, after Select and rescan, only tap Done once you’ve rescanned the prep; otherwise the selected area is deleted |
| Implant case without the emergence profile | the design loses the tissue contour around the implant | on Lumina, if your subscription doesn’t include emergence profile scanning, Align says to use Pre-Treatment Scan for implant-based fixed restorations |
| Scan body covered or incomplete | implant position shifts in the design | expose the scan body and capture its top and sides |
| Case missing on MyiTero.com | there’s nothing to export | complete the case on the scanner (status Completed) and check the Company in the portal |
| File left off the Rx | the lab gets the case without it | attach everything before sending the Rx, or send the file with your portal order |
Scan technique for margins, scan bodies and the bite is covered in our intraoral scanning guide.
How do you attach an iTero file to a Smile portal order?
In the Smile portal, iTero files are attached to the order straight from the Downloads folder where MyiTero.com saved them. If a downloaded file has the patient’s name in its title, rename it before attaching; the name belongs only in the order field. Build the order from the services on your price list and the teeth in FDI numbering.
STL is accepted; PLY only after you check with us. The exported file doesn’t carry the iTero Rx, so shade, material and implant details are written on the order, as our guide to sending a case shows. The portal screens are in Portuguese. If the bite or opposing arch is missing, we contact you before design starts.
Related services
Open a portal accountFrequently asked questions
Can I pull an STL straight off the iTero onto a USB stick?
No. Align's help center says local export through the scanner's USB port isn't possible: every scan is exported from MyiTero.com, in a desktop browser, once the case status is Completed.
Does an iTero PLY carry color?
Align confirms PLY export, but its public pages don't say whether iTero PLY files come out in color. The PLY format can hold color, so open the file before sending if color matters. For the restoration's shade, rely on the tab on the order and a photo with the tab in frame.
Does my lab need to be registered with iTero?
Only to receive cases through Align's own route. Then the lab has to be listed in the iTero Lab Locator and linked to your scanner. To receive through our portal, it doesn't: you export on MyiTero.com and attach the files to the order.
Sources
- How to export a file · Align Technology (iTeroEd)
- Exporting scan data from the scanner's USB port · Align Technology (iTeroEd)
- Unable to find scan data on MyiTero.com (MIDC) · Align Technology (iTeroEd)
- Unable to export a file in MyiTero.com (MIDC) - Google Chrome · Align Technology (iTeroEd)
- How to add a new partner lab account under scanner · Align Technology (iTeroEd)
- Case status is "Failed to Send" · Align Technology (iTeroEd)
- iTero Lumina user manual and addendum 226445 Rev. B · Align Technology (addendum updated January 2025)
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