You have decided that you want a 3D printer. AWESOME!!! I was in your shoes a year ago. Here are some tips I have for those looking to get into this wonderful technology. This is just what I did to get my printer, doesn’t mean you will want the same things that I did, but hopefully you will get an idea of how to go about getting the printer of your choice.

First, decide what kind of projects you want to do with your printer. Also decide which scale you will do most of your printing in. If you do mostly 1” scale, you will probably want a different printer than one that will do mostly small scales. I do most of my work in ¼” scale, so I was looking for a printer for those needs. Also, ask others that have printers. Ask them if they like them, what they don’t like about them, what would they do differently with their next one.

One of the first things you need to decide is how much are you willing to pay for a printer. If you only have $500 to spend on a printer, look for the best one in that price range. You can always upgrade to a better printer if you find you are using it a lot. Which leads to the next criteria, how much are you going to use the printer? Are you going to use it every day?? If so you will probably want a little more expensive printer. If it is something you are only going to use once in a while, then a less expensive one might work just as well.

I started my research by reading. I bought the magazine called MAKE. At the beginning of each year, they usually have an issue that has reviews of all the latest and greatest machines from the past year, everything from 3D printers, to lasers, to CNC machines. I looked at the top PLA printers, the ones that use filaments. Looked online at prices and the different companies and read the reviews from actual customers. I also looked at the test pieces that MAKE magazine did. I looked at the resolution of each piece to see if it was what I was looking for. For me, I was not satisfied with the resolution that the PLA printers had. So I started to look at the SLA printers, or a printer that used resins. When I started to expand my search to include the SLA printers, the field opened up greatly. I found for the small scale item, the resolution on the SLA printer was what I was looking for. BUT, I couldn’t justify the cost of the printer for something that I was going to use once in a while. I did more research, and I found my dream printer, a printer that would print in many different materials. Now, I know not everyone is looking for the same criteria as I am, but I did find a printer that also printed in a castable resin. My husband is a master goldsmith, and was looking at 3D printers for his work. So when I came across the Formlab Form2 printer, it was a match made in heaven! Something my husband could use in our store, and something that I could use for my miniatures. Granted this one carries a hefty price tag, but for us, it was worth it. It reduced his production time on creating waxes for his jewelry castings, and I could use it for my miniatures.

Once we decided to really explore the Form2 printer, we asked for samples. They were more than happy to send samples of anything we wanted, so for us we got samples in the basic resin and the castable. Once we got the samples, we looked them over to see if they met with our criteria. And they did!! Keith and I both set up a phone meeting with a rep from the company, and he talked with us and answered all of our questions that we had, and made sure we were satisfied to make a qualified purchase. About one and a half weeks later, we had our new 3D printer. This whole process took about a month to go through. This decision shouldn’t be done quickly. Also, as with all new technology, you need to use it for everything! If you don’t, then it will just sit on your shelf. Embrace the new technology, you won’t regret it.

Alician Pearce