3D printing 101 -- 3D printing applications across industry -- Current 3D printing limitations -- FDM 3D printing -- Affordable desktop 3D printers -- Common 3D printing materials -- From 3D object to physical 3D print -- Slicing software -- Advanced slicer settings -- Preparing to print -- Troubleshooting and improving your prints -- STEAM Building Exercises.

This book is an introduction to the wide and varied world of 3D printing-an incredible technology used across an ever-growing list of industries. As 3D printing continues to skyrocket in popularity, it's increasingly important to understand how these machines work and how to apply 3D printing technology to personal and professional interests. More important still, this book highlights how surprisingly easy 3D printers can be to use, even for readers who don't consider themselves particularly tech-savvy. This book provides a comprehensive overview of 3D printing for first-time users. The text introduces some of the most popular types of 3D printing technology available, as well as some of the most exciting and compelling applications across industry today. The content dives deeply into one of the most popular and widely accessible 3D print technology on the market: fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing. The reader will learn basic FDM 3D printer anatomy, software settings, as well as the tips and tricks to master your own FDM 3D printer. The book provides a firm understanding of what FDM 3D printing excels at, its current limitations, and how to troubleshoot and overcome some of the most common 3D printing problems. The book then provides some 'STEAM-building' cross-disciplinary challenges and applications for the reader to complete at home. This book is for novice readers who might be early in their 3D printing journey. For those looking to learn more about introductory 3D printing and curious about how to get started, this is an excellent place to start. By the end of the book, the reader should have all the understanding and tools necessary to start 3D printing with confidence.