Guide for Beginners on Using a 3D Printer

3D printers for beginners have become surprisingly reasonable and can be a huge benefit in more ways than you think. You can easily replace small elements from household appliances and devices that may be inaccessible to you otherwise with a 3D printer. There are a variety of 3D printers available that have a wide range of components and use different kinds of materials, so it’s important to understand your choices to find the best printer for your needs.

You can also read our blog on how does a 3D printer work to know more about these printers.

Best 3D Printer For Beginners

FlashForge 3D Printer

FlashForge 3D Printer’s reviews mark that its built-in heavy-duty z-axis guide rod ensures steady and precise movement. The integrated LCD screen and button board functions of this printer make it easy to operate. It features an acrylic cover that encloses the chamber to insulate and protect the prints.

QIDI TECHNOLOGY 3D Printer

QIDI TECHNOLOGY 3D Printer comes with redesigned UI interface that helps improve the print quality by 30 and speed by 20. The max printing temperature of this printer is 250C which can work well with PLA, ABS, and TPU. Its double Z-axis driver ensures more stable and more precise printing quality.

Creality Ender 3 3D Printer

The customer reviews of Creality Ender 3 3D Printer claim that it features a high-watt hotbed that offers fast heating to the printing platform. Its upgraded extruder design reduces the risk of a clogged nozzle and bad extrusion. This printer comes with a one-piece structure that fits in small spaces.

Voxelab Aquila 3D Printer

Voxelab Aquila 3D Printer features a semi-assembled design that makes it easy to set up. It comes with a resume printing function that automatically prints when the power comes on. Its carborundum glass platform enables the building platform to heat up in 5 minutes.

ANYCUBIC Photon Mono is also a nice model to consider if you’re looking to buy 3D printers.

Features To Look Before Buying 3D Printer For Beginners

Safety Features

 You can never be too safe when it comes to operating hot electrical equipment. Keep an eye out for safety components that will help your 3D printing experience. These features include things like automatic nozzle cooling when a print is complete. If the printer has a heated bed, look for an element that automatically shuts it off when a print job ends. Avoid harmful prints with excess filament by rejecting the nozzle automatically when a print is either paused or complete.

Print Resume Functions

There’s nothing worse than wasting a beautiful print halfway through its completion. Features like print resume make sure that your creations aren’t interrupted when unpredictable pauses occur. Your print job will resume where it left off with this feature instead of starting over.

Quality User Interface

A quality user interface can take your 3D printing experience from extraordinary to mind-blowing. Don’t waste time trying to navigate a menu with a rotary knob when you can use a touchscreen interface. This feature isn’t just limited to expensive printers. Even the most inexpensive FDM printers come with a touchscreen UI.

Heated Bed

You really can’t go back once you’ve tried a heated bed. The first few layers of your prints are essential to the foundation of your final object. A heated bed makes sure this foundation is well-formed, solid, and sticking in place. Finding the perfect temperature differs between filaments but you can find the sweet spot by experimentation.

Axis Adjustability

Fine-tuning your printer often involves tightening or easing the tension on one of the 3 main axes. Go for a 3D printer that offers easy access to belt tension adjustment. This will save you time that you will have to otherwise spend on removing components and making adjustments.

A printer for students is a great way to keep a paper trail for college, take notes, sign up for classes, and other important documents. Go through our blog on the best printers for students to learn more.

What Software To Look While Using A 3D Printer For Beginners?

3D printers utilize software from two major sources: the printer itself and the computer you operate to create 3D printer files. The software on your computer is a slicer, slicing is when you build a file to print.  Firmware is the software used by the 3D printer. Many 3D printers also use Marlin firmware, but there are other applications for different chips. 

Material Understanding While Using 3D Printer For Beginners

Another important point of consideration while using a 3D printer like ELEGOO Resin is the materials you will be using to print.  Some materials only work with specific types of devices, and every material has its pros and cons. Read below to understand:

Filament

FDM printers use plastic filaments to print things layer by layer. Different material kinds can have powerful effects on the final printed product. Filament materials come in many different types that can have specific use cases.  Two plastic print materials that are far more common than others are ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) and PLA (Polylactic Acid).

ABS plastic is common in toys and consumer manufacturing. Beginners can benefit from the affordability and easy availability of ABS print materials.

PLA is an environmental-friendly solution. PLA is great for many things but is most common;y used in food storage and disposable items.

Resin

 Resin print materials are a bit more abstract than filament. Different manufacturers can have other names for their specific resins, but there are typically three resin quality categories to be aware of and they are standard, high grade, and medical grade.

Standard is the most basic type of resin material that is inexpensive yet still durable and an amazing solution for users needing to print sturdy objects frequently.

High-grade resins can have precise colors that make them more desirable for specific tasks. 

Medical-grade resins are dedicated to the highest quality print jobs. They are used primarily in the medical field, as the name would imply. 

Polaroid printers are also a great printing device. These printers print photos as they are taken using a self-developing film. Read our blog on polaroid printers to learn more about them.

Conclusion

3D printers have quickly become unremarkable at work and home. From small toys to machine parts, 3D printers can make amazing objects from a wide variety of materials. Purchasing a 3D printer can be a daunting task due to the different types of devices and complicated printing methods. The best place to start is to determine what you are going to print and how often you will be printing it.

Pooboo rates and reviews hundreds of best 3D printers, top laser printers, and best inkjet printers based on their performance, controls, and build quality.