Guide To Buying Your First 3D Printer

3D printing has been gaining momentum as they become more powerful and affordable, which has aroused interest in them from makers, DIY enthusiasts and many others. Navigating the waters of 3D printing and buying the right 3D printer,however, remain tricky, for the market is teeming with 3D printer brands and models. In light of that, the following 4 factors is listed for you to consider prior to your purchase.

 

1, Print Technology. 3D printing sometimes is referred to as additive manufacturing. The term print technology basically means how an object is created with what kind of material(s). currently,the most common 3D print technologies are FDM,SLA, and DLP. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. As a novice, it is important you have a basic idea of the technology your printer use because it would help your rule out many 3D printers that do not suit your purpose.

 

2, The Almighty “WHY”. Why are you considering buying a 3D printer?  Knowing what a 3D printer can do, you now should ask yourself what you want to do with it. Are you a maker who want to do prototyping on your own? Are you a newbie trying to get the hang of 3D printing ? There are many printers that are specifically designed to meet different needs and their prices vary greatly.Having a clear purpose can help you further narrow down your options.  

 

3, Know Yourself. Are you technologically-savvy and willing to spare time and effort to learn how to operate a 3D printer? Most budget 3D printer require manual bed leveling and assembly, which is tedious and time-consuming. If you are not good with assembly, calibration, or find yourself under tight schedules, you may want to raise your budget for a more advanced one that is ready to use, and features auto-leveling. Some brands offer machines that can be operated with a remote control and/or a touch screen. But you would have to pay extra for these things.

 

4, Print Quality. Now, there are many things of a 3D printer that determines the print quality. And that requires a deeper study into the specifications of the 3D printer. Here i will only touches on the extrusion system. Some brands now offer dual or triple extruder 3D printers that enable users to mix materials and colors to create colorful,vivid objects,where single extruder 3D printers fall short of.