Preface

3D printing is the creation of a real object, in 3 dimensions, using a machine that "prints" these objects by melting different layers on top of each other.

You can imagine it a bit like an inkjet printer, where the ink is injected onto the sheet, which works in 2 dimensions (from top to bottom, and from left to right)..

A 3D printer adds a third dimension to this by lowering the layer that was just printed a certain distance in the third dimension, and then printing a layer on top of it again.

The three dimensions are represented by X, Y, and Z:

• X from left to right
• Y from top to bottom
• Z the extra layers that come on top of each other

How is it printed?

A 3D printer is therefore not much different from the printer you know connected to your computer, and just as with the printer connected to your computer, a 'driver' is needed so that Windows, Linux, or macOS knows how to communicate with your printer; our 3D object must also be converted into printer language before our printer knows how to create this object.

So, we start from a 3D design. This is a bit like a drawing, but with the difference—like the comparison between an inkjet and a 3D printer—that this computer drawing also includes the third dimension to represent the object. On our free CAD programs page, you can find various free drawing programs with which you can draw these 3D objects. Or you can start from an already drawn object, which you can find on various sites on the internet; just take a look at the list of Free 3D objects you can print.

These 3D drawn files also have their own format; just as you have 2D drawings and photos in JPG, PNG, etc., 3D designs for processing with 3D printers are designated by the extension STL or OBJ.

To convert this 3D drawing into printer language, a program called 'SLICER' is used. This translates to 'divide into layers'. In essence, this slicer, which is configured according to your printer type (size of the volume it can print, temperature required to melt the plastic, etc.), divides your design entirely in memory into the path the print head must follow to create a solid object, layer by layer. The best-known slicer software programs are Bambu Studio, Orca Slicer, Prusa Slicer, Cura, and Simplify3D. When purchasing a 3D printer, a USB stick is usually included with the printer. For Bambu Lab printers, download BAMBU STUDIO from the Bambu Lab webpage.

Once you have your slicer open, and your printer settings are correct, you normally see the 'workspace', a digital representation of the maximum volume you can print with your printer into which you load your 3D drawing.

Once the STL (or OBJ) file has been loaded, it is normally displayed in the center of your print bed (the print bed is the plate, which is usually heated to hold the object better during printing, onto which the printer will spray its first layer of plastic).

You can optionally select the print quality you want via the slicer (coarse print, fine, superfine, etc.), which will naturally determine the time required to produce your print, and the type of plastic you want to use, as different plastics can handle different temperatures and printing speeds. The most common plastics are normally already pre-programmed in your slicer. Once you get a little used to working with the slicer, you will quickly learn how to add your own plastics and their properties to customize the slicer to your needs. You can also find a huge number of videos on YouTube explaining how to work with a slicer, but usually in English.

Preparing the printer

Once you have unpacked the printer, and if applicable, gone through the necessary assembly steps, you naturally want to see what the thing can do as soon as possible. But, as always, haste makes waste. And some caution is advised.

Before you can print, you need to align the print bed with the X and Y movements your print head makes across the bed. This is called bed leveling.

You can find instructions on how to perform this alignment in your printer's manual. After all, some printers have a measuring system that determines the distance of the bed from the print head at all points, and then the printer's software itself corrects the necessary calculations and movements for a good print.

With most modern printers, this is done automatically by the calibration process.

Once your printer is calibrated, you can get to work printing.

Just let the print head preheat to the melting temperature of your plastic, load the plastic into the printer according to the manual, and you're ready to go.