Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
C H A P T E R 1
■ ■ ■
Before You Begin
Look at the cover of this topic again. What is that unusual looking device pictured there? Yes, it's a 3D
printer, but what exactly does that mean?
This chapter will tell you. We're not going to bore you with a lot of techno mumbo-jumbo or a
complete machine-by-machine history of how we got here; you can find all that on Wikipedia.com or
another web site. Instead, this chapter will provide a simple (and short) discussion on what this device
is, what it does best, how it works (again, in simple terminology), and how to proceed through the
following chapters to begin building your own 3D printer.
What is a 3D Printer?
Let's start with the easiest part first: the word “printer.” For most people, the term printer is fairly
obvious. It's a small, medium, or large device that folks use to create a hard copy (i.e. paper) of their
digital files (Word documents, photos, brochures, PDF files, Internet receipts for online purchases, web
articles, and more). Printers come in a variety of shapes and sizes; there are several methods of putting
ink to paper.
The two most common printer technologies used today are referred to as ink jet and laser. An ink jet
sprays a bit of ink (black or color) on the paper, and after a few seconds, spits out the latest chapter of
your novel, the report your boss wanted ten minutes ago, or directions to the nearest computer repair
shop. Laser printers use a different, more complicated method of applying an electric charge to a round
drum that picks up toner (a laser printer's “ink”) and then applies that toner to a page.
Ink jet and laser printers print on flat paper. The output of these devices is two-dimensional. Paper
has a length and a width. A standard paper size in the U.S. is referred to as 8.5” x 11”; this means the
paper is 8.5 inches wide and 11 inches long. Technically, paper does have a third dimension, thickness
(or height), but we're not going to worry about that right now; paper is thin enough that we'll be safe
referring to it as a 2D. Figure 1-1 shows a piece of 8.5 x 11 paper. We are limited to applying ink on this
paper in four directions: left, right, towards the top, and towards the bottom.
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search