A 3D printer turns digital designs into physical objects using a variety of substances, from plastic to ceramic to something that kind of looks like wood. Before you even touch a printer, you'll need a design—a precise computer-generated model that will tell the printer what to make. You can use one of the millions of free design files online—vacuum-hose adapters, water-bottle holders for your bike, and much, much more—or your own imagination, which will require you or someone else to create an object using computer-aided design, or CAD, software. Designs must then go through separate "slicing" software. Slicers break the object down into flat, two-dimensional layers that will stack up to create it, like slices in a loaf of bread. The software even determines the best path for the printer to take as it builds each layer. Then the printer simply starts layering slices of whatever material you're printing with (more about that in a moment).



Should You Buy One of These Things?

If you're interested in learning every step in the process of 3D printing, go for it. Just want 3D prints? You're better off finding friends with 3D printers. In the past five years machines have only gotten cheaper and easier to use, but an affordable printer that's ready to go from the box isn't quite a reality. Even with so many consumer-grade printers on the market, the sweet spot of price, quality, and reliability remains elusive.



Types of Consumer Printers

Whether you intend to buy a 3D printer for your home or use one in a public space (see "Find a Printer"), there are two kinds you're likely to encounter.

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Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF): FFF, also known as fused deposition modeling (FDM), is the most common method of consumer 3D printing. FFF machines build in successive layers of plastic filament. They work slowly and the layer-to-layer bonding can introduce weak points and a jagged texture, but competition and cheap printing materials mean printers can cost less than $1,000.

Stereolithography (SLA): SLA machines offer greater accuracy and flexibility. They shine ultraviolet lasers into a vat of light-activated resin, hardening it into shape layer by layer. SLA achieves a resolution, or layer thickness, of 0.05 mm, allowing for smoother, more intricate designs. But that quality comes with a larger price tag: typically $3,000 and up.

Step 1. Select a Design

If you know how to use CAD software, great. If not, that won't stop you. Here's where to turn at every stage of the learning curve.

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You aren't sure where to start.

If this is one of your first print jobs, the easiest option is to use someone else's work. Sites like Thingiverse, Yeggi, STL Finder, and GrabCAD provide millions of free digital designs for a variety of objects including ice scrapers, side tables, and even working watches. Many files allow you to customize a design to the measurement, resolution, or weight you need.

You want to customize, with assistance.

If you can't find an existing design online and you don't know CAD, you'll need to hire a designer. Costs are based on complexity and time, but expect to pay $75 to $150 an hour for a customized design file. Find freelance 3D designers at your local MakerSpace or on sites like Shapeways, PeoplePerHour, or Cad Crowd that list rates, specialties, and services.

You're ready to try it yourself.

Several 3D-printing apps allow you to build products of your own without having to know CAD. Apps typically have a narrow focus, such as building smartphone cases or transforming kids' doodles into 3D figurines, but are fast and easy to use. When you're done, simply download the design file generated by the app, upload it to the printer, and get printing.

Step 2. Choose Your Materials

The first 3D printers produced only plastic parts. Today's machines can handle a growing variety of materials.

If you want an object that is strong:



Consider metals like titanium or steel. If you're ordering prints from a third-party service, commercial-grade Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) printers fuse pure metal powders into designs to create some of the toughest objects you can print—NASA and SpaceX have used this technique for rocket-engine parts. If you're using an FFF printer, you'll want plastic—either ABS or nylon. Both are tough and flexible enough for functional parts like gears and integral hinges.

If you want an object that can handle heat:

Ceramics can withstand temperatures of 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit. Using SLS machines, preceramic polymers are printed into a design and then traditionally fired, converting the material into a ceramic. The new material can handle the kind of heat that melts metal, making it ideal for jet engines, hypersonic vehicles, or your morning joe.

If you want an object that captures details:

Resin's smooth surface and ability to show details, especially when treated with high-powered SLA lasers, make it perfect for prototypes and models.

If you want an object that looks like the real thing:

3D printing won't yet replace carpentry or masonry, but it's getting closer. Plastic filament embedded with wood shavings or chalk produces a final product that resembles wood or concrete-like stone. Sand down the layers' edges and no one will know.

Step 3. Find a Printer (If You're Not Buying Your Own)

Go to the library. Hundreds of public and college libraries offer free access to 3D printers, charging by materials used.

Go to the store. Select UPS stores offer FFF printing services. Check 3D Hubs or Makexyz for a listing of local printers.

Go online. For access to exotic materials and high-end printers, outsource. Companies like Shapeways and Sculpteo allow you to upload a design, select materials, then receive printed objects in the mail.

Tips

• Learning 3D-modeling design can get crazy quickly. For a simple introduction to CAD software, check out Tinkercad, a free site that teaches fundamentals such as placing, adjusting, and combining objects.

• MakerSpace and TechShop, two retail maker spaces, are great places to learn the printing process. Many locations offer classes to nonmembers or can connect you to a 3D-printing expert. For unlimited or unsupervised access, consider becoming a member.

Special thanks to Chris Templeman of Happy Workhorse, Ethan Dicks of IDEA Foundry, Joshua Pearce of Michigan Technology University, and Shapeways and 3D Hubs.

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