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With the right 3D printer, you can turn your 3D designs into physical objects that you can touch and use. Adorama carries a variety of 3D printers and accessories to help you get the most out of your work. Whether you’re looking for an FDM printer to make functional plastic parts or a resin printer to produce highly detailed collectible models, you’ll find what you’re looking for above.
The most common home 3D printers are filament-based, which means they print objects in plastic. FDM (fused deposition modeling) printers, also known as fused filament fabrication (FFF), feed melted plastic onto a build plate in tiny layers to create plastic 3D objects.
Filament printers work a lot like a glue gun attached to a CNC machine. Precision motors control the printhead, moving it around on the X, Y, and Z axes, while the hot end spits out melted plastic into a 3D shape.
Most FDM printers have exposed build plates. They work well with low-temperature filaments like PLA (a plant-based plastic). Printing high-temperature thermoplastics like ABS requires the accurate temperature regulation of a fully enclosed build volume. Creality makes both exposed and enclosed FDM printers.
Resin 3D printers, also known as SLA (stereolithography apparatus) printers, create 3D objects with UV curing polymer resins. These printers hold a pool of liquid resin that hardens when exposed to 405nm UV light. They lower a build plate into the resin vat over and over to pick up a tiny layer at a time.
Resin printers can create objects with precise, intricate details, but resin prints are more fragile than plastic prints. Resin 3D printers are popular among hobbyists who enjoy making models, tabletop miniatures, and prototyping designs. Resin is not a suitable material for functional objects.
Whether you’re printing with a filament or resin, you’ll need supplies to keep your printer going. 3D printing filament rolls come in a variety of colors so you can easily find the right colors to match the object you want to create. PLA is the most common material for printing at home. It’s a low-temperature thermoplastic that won’t overburden your printer’s hot end.
If you’re getting into resin printing, you should consider a washing and curing machine to go along with it. The UV resin used in 3D printing is toxic and you must clean it off your prints with a chemical before handling. Wash and cure machines help you clean the residual resin off the surface of your resin prints and finish the curing process to harden them.