Materials
3D Printing Resin Types Explained: Standard, Tough, Water-Washable and More
Compare resin types for MSLA printers: standard, ABS-like, tough, water-washable, flexible and castable. Costs, uses and safety.
3D printing for beginners
Learn 3D printing the easy way
Plain-English tutorials, honest buying guides, troubleshooting help, and a glossary that explains every confusing term. No experience required.
01Today’s featured print
All free prints →
Free download
Sample Calibration Cube
A simple 20 mm test cube. Print it to check your temperatures and dimensions before trying bigger projects.
- PLA
- Beginner
- 20 min
02Pick your path
1
Start Here
New to all this? Learn what 3D printing is, how it works, and how to pick your first printer.
Begin → 2Follow a Tutorial
Step-by-step guides, from leveling your bed to finishing your first successful print.
Start building → 3Decode the Jargon
Infill, retraction, slicer, G-code… every term explained in plain English.
Open the glossary →03Explore by topic
Layer 01
Start Here
New to 3D printing? Begin here with the basics and your first printer.
6 posts Layer 02Tutorials
Step-by-step guides from setup and bed leveling to your first print.
6 posts Layer 03Buying Guides
Printers, filament, tools and accessories worth buying, explained simply.
6 posts Layer 04Troubleshooting
Fix stringing, warping, failed first layers, clogs and other print problems.
0 posts Layer 05Materials
PLA, PETG, ABS, TPU and resin: what each one does and when to use it.
6 posts Layer 06Software & Models
Slicers, free model sites, and your first steps designing your own parts.
0 posts Layer 07Projects
Beginner-friendly prints, useful household makes, and fun builds.
0 posts04Fresh off the bed
All posts →
Materials
TPU and Flexible Filament: How to Print Rubbery Parts
Learn how to print TPU: hardness ratings, printer requirements, slow-and-steady settings, and how to fix jams and stringing.
Materials
ABS and ASA Explained: Heat-Resistant Parts (and the Fumes You Need to Manage)
Learn when to use ABS or ASA, what printer you need, safe ventilation, print settings and fixes for warping and cracking.
Materials
PETG Explained: Strong, Tough Prints Without the Hassle
A beginner guide to PETG filament: when to choose it over PLA, print settings, stringing fixes and what to buy.
Materials
PLA Explained: The Best Starter Material, Settings and Tips
Everything a beginner needs to know about PLA filament: types, print settings, tips, common problems and what to buy.
Materials
PLA vs PETG vs ABS vs TPU: Which 3D Printing Material Should You Use?
Compare PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA and TPU side by side: strength, heat resistance, difficulty, cost and what each is best for.
06Jargon, decoded
Full glossary →FDM
Fused Deposition Modeling: melting plastic filament and laying it down layer by layer.
Retraction
Pulling filament back slightly to stop oozing and stringing.
Nozzle
The heated tip where melted filament comes out of the printer.
Filament
The plastic "ink" an FDM printer melts to build your print.
Bed Leveling
Adjusting the build plate so the nozzle is the right distance away everywhere.
Layer Height
How thick each printed layer is. Thinner layers look smoother but take longer.