3D printing has become a new fascination amongst people today.

A 3D print is the physical version of a design file, or simply of a blueprint. You can print various objects using a 3D printer which uses the technology to slice your design into thin layers which are sent to the 3D printer.

What people do not know more commonly is that 3D printing has been around for around 30 years! Chuck Hull invented the first progress in 1983 and named it ‘streolithography’. It began with the usage of light curable liquids but soon expanded the technique to use with any material capable of solidification or capable of altering its physical state. This was the foundation of today’s additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing.

While the technology was earlier used only for industrial purposes, the price of the 3D printer fell to be accessed by consumers as well. Things which make 3D printing better are that you can create a complicated design, customize it and get it manufactured without any tools and only one fixed cost.

Another major thing is that the process is fast and generates lesser waste products. The choices for materials, colours and finishing may be limited but with the rising popularity, we can expect for those to be available in a wider range as well.

You’d probably be surprised to know that many professions make use of this technology – be it the prototypes or custom parts of automobiles, hearing aids by doctors, braces and retainers by dentists, prosthetic hands (project e-NABLE), fuel nozzles for jet engines by aircraft manufacturers, engine chambers as for Elon Musk’s commercial space company SpaceX, product designers, design samples by architects and so much more!

However, if you are new to 3D printing, there are various online services available for you to experiment with this technology. Buying a 3D printer is still quite expensive, so unless you’re a pro and use it on a regular basis, the internet can save the day as always.