How to choose a 3D printer: Experts give their advice!

There are now hundreds of 3D printer manufacturers vying for market share in the 3D printing industry. Many wish to occupy the lucrative rewards that 3D printing is poised to bring. Therefore, it is difficult for someone to choose which 3D printer from the huge variety available. Which technology: FDM or SLA? Single or dual extruder? Plastics or metals? Therefore, we spoke to a number of prominent people in the industry to help guide you towards choosing the right 3D printer for you.

In doing this, we spoke to Jemuel Stephenson of FABLabs, Eric Savant, CEO of iMakr, and the team at Tinkerine. Jemuel’s work includes finding the right kinds of equipment and methods to design and prototype products, as well as teaching courses on 3D printing. iMakr are a large seller and manufacturer of 3D printers in both the USA and the UK. Tinkerine are a well-known Canadian 3D printing company who produce the FDM 3D printer called the DittoPro as well as their Tinkerine U educational courses.

What should a beginner’s 3D printing goals be?

Firstly, we asked what beginners to the 3D printing industry should strive for and aim to achieve. Jemuel of FABLabs stated “Focus on designing creative things…I’d recommend starting with a simple and reliable printer like a Makerbot or an Ultimaker.”