The Big Question—What is 3D Printing? - 3D Printing: Build your Own 3D Printer and Print your own 3D Objects - page 1

1. The Big Question—What is 3D Printing?
I don't know if you've heard of the term “3D printer,” but I'd be surprised
if the majority of readers didn't at least have an idea about the subject. But
I'm going to start from scratch here. I'm going to assume that you know noth-
ing...zero...nada...zilch. I'm going on the assumption that you are reading this
topic and scratching your head and saying “Nope...no idea.”
However, if you are familiar with 3D printers, you can refer to the Table of Con-
tents and find the chapter that best fits your level of experience. Chapters 2 , “ Find
Yourself a 3D Printer , ” and 3 , “ Assembly Assistance for the Printrbot Simple ,” for
example, go over one very specific device (and how to build it) that I'll be using
throughout this topic. If you already own a 3D printer and/or have already put one
together, those chapters can easily be skipped. (But they have some cool sidebars
and extra information that you might not want to miss.)
I'm going to start from the beginning and explain everything to you as if we were
having a simple conversation. No complex technobabble. No calculus or physics
required. And certainly no power tools. Let's keep this simple, shall we? Because
as you're about to learn, 3D printers are for the masses, not just for the scientists
and gizmo-gadgety gurus.
What Is a 3D Printer?
Let's start with the last term first—printer. Printers come in two varieties. There's
the kind that stands behind a counter in a building full of machines and takes your
money when you ask for 150 copies of your son's graduation invitations or need
a large GRAND OPENING banner printed for your new business. I'm not talking
about that kind of printer.
I'm speaking of the other kind of printer—the one that you usually see sitting on
a desk or being shared by a few dozen office workers. It's typically bigger than a
shoebox and smaller than a car. Many of these kinds of printers can print in color,
but not all. They can print a single sheet or the entire 350 pages of your new novel.
Figure 1.1 shows a typical printer that spits out paper with ink on it.