It’s the cheapest way to get started with 3D printing

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Diving into 3D printing offers access to fascinating technology and a great avenue for creative expression. As a technology that is both relatively young and quite sophisticated, getting into 3D printing isn’t as cheap as some other hobbies or side hustles. While it’s not exactly a drop in the ocean, you can get started with 3D printing on a basic level by purchasing a budget-friendly, no-frills printer, sticking to the cheapest and most readily available materials, and using free pre-made designs.

As 3D printing grows in popularity and ubiquity, many brands and manufacturers have gradually begun to lower the bar for entry, offering simple, all-in-one packages that you can pick up to get your foot in the door. Either way, you’ll spend at least a few hundred dollars for your initial investment, but that’s compared to spending over $1,000. Of course, all of this assumes that you’re not just paying someone to use their printer, but that this option is better suited to casual printing rather than a serious hobby.

Generally speaking, getting started with 3D printing requires three specific elements: the printer itself, the materials you print, and the design you program into. The hardest decision is selecting your device. There are many different 3D printers, to put it mildly, running the gamut of sizes, additional features, and overall complexity. Depending on what you want to use it for, you might be looking at a price ranging from less than $100 to more than $1,000. For beginners, it would be best to stick to reliable and budget-friendly models, such as Creality’s Ender 3 V3, reasonably priced at $219, or the Bambu Lab A1, for $299.99.

Once you have a printer at your disposal, the next order of business is materials. You can’t print anything without thermoplastic filament, which can be used up faster than expected, so you’ll need to buy at least a few spools to get started. PLA filament will typically cost you between $20 and $30 per kilogram (about $44 to $66 per pound), but you may be able to get it cheaper depending on the brand and color. Creality can deliver here again, with a two-pack of its black and white PLA costing $30 on Amazon.

Finally, to print anything you will need a design. The complexity of the design will directly affect the cost. A custom-commissioned, elaborate design could easily cost over $90, with prices only increasing if you pay a designer hourly rates. If you want to save money here, do the design yourself in a program like Blender or download a free premade file from a 3D printing enthusiast site.

If the high upfront costs and potential for recurring costs intimidate you, there is an alternative to owning your own 3D printer: paying someone else to use theirs. A great way to get started with 3D printing before making that major initial investment is to research public-use printers and give them a quick try. You may be able to find a simple printer you can do basic printing on at your local library or university, which could be free or charge a flat printing fee.

For something more elaborate, you can search around your home using Makerspace Directory for comprehensive 3D printing services, as well as Makerspaces and Hackerspaces, where you can reserve time at the shared printer. You can even connect with individuals with 3D printers to book private jobs, as long as you’re willing to cover the cost of materials. If you just want to make something quick and easy, these are all more economical options than owning your own printer, but, naturally, they don’t offer the same type of freedom or satisfaction that you get from owning your own printer.