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. We are limited to applying ink on this paper in four directions: left, right, towards the top, and towards the bottom. So, knowing that an ink jet or laser printer creates 2D output, we can hazard a guess that a 3D printer would print in that third dimension: up off the paper! But ink doesn’t stack well. Yes, ink can build up (you can run your fingers over some types of paper and feel the ink), but it doesn’t come up and off the piece of paper high enough to be noticeable. If 3D printing is to be truly possible, it needs to substitute ink for some other material that will stack or build up in layers. One of the materials that can be printed in the third dimension is plastic. The term “plastic” covers a wide variety of materials and is considered to be a generic term, so we’ll get a bit more specific a little later in book. For now, let’s define the 3D printer as a device that can apply melted plastic (that cools down and hardens) in all three dimensions on a flat surface: left and right on the surface, up and down on the surface, and vertically going upwards away from the surface. (Yes, down should be allowable, but since we’re dealing with a device that applies melted plastic to a work surface, the only direction we can really go is up, away from the surface.) Take a look . Instead of ink, plastic would allow us to print up from a flat surface, creating three-dimensional output. The 3D printer applies the plastic in layers that build up, creating the 3D effect. Layering is the method used by a 3D printer to turn a two-dimensional object into a threedimensional one. Are you starting to understand what a 3D printer can do? Sure, you can use it to print TOP SECRET in two inch tall letters on a piece of paper, but let’s move away from the idea of printing words in 3D and consider other options. Printing in plastic will allow you to print all sorts of things in 3D that would otherwise have to be represented in a 2D drawing. You could print a replacement gear for the one that cracked in that little wind-up robot toy. Or how about a set of buttons (using colored plastic that is readily available) to give your favorite jacket a new look? And yes, you could even print yourself a plastic mug or teacup. The possibilities are exciting. There are some advanced uses for a 3D printer as well. A jeweler could print some small medallions (in plastic) to use as molds for custom silver jewelry. An inventor might use a 3D printer to create an inexpensive prototype of a handle for a new screwdriver, testing it in plastic first to make certain the design feels comfortable. A robotics hobbyist would find a 3D printer useful for printing out small gears or wheels that are unique in size or shape and can’t be purchased in stores. The list doesn’t end, and it’s likely you have your own ideas for how you might use a 3D printer But simply having this device on your desk isn’t enough. It’s not going to magically read your mind and print out the plastic object you need. A 3D printer is a computer-controlled device and therefore must be connected to your computer to do its job. And in order to actually get the 3D printer to print something, you’ll need to install some special software on that computer.
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