While the shopping insanities of the gift-giving season haven’t fully descended upon us, the fact that holiday lights went up before Thanksgiving serves as a gentle reminder that it’s time to start thinking about the acquisition and distribution of bundles of joy for your family, friends, besties, and frenemies. However, with great power comes great responsibility, and even if you don’t know how to answer the ever-elusive question “What do I get Justin for Christmas,” nobody has ever successfully pulled off feigning love for a pack of tube socks, nor does anyone want to find out that their trendy label maker was re-gifted. If you once again find yourself at wit’s end, fear not, for there is one avenue that has most likely gone unexplored: 3D printers and 3D-printed gifts!
Before we start discussing specific 3D printers, let’s clear up one possible point of confusion: 3D printers do not print using paper. They print using filament made of plastic, wood, stainless steel, etc. to render 3D objects from digital blueprints that were designed using computer software. If you’re a newbie who isn’t familiar with using CAD software, or just want to save time on the design process, fear not, because some 3D printers have built-in scanners and cameras. There are also some stand-alone 3D scanners available and completed blueprints can also be downloaded online.
If you’re a 3D printing newbie, or have kids who 3D print, consider the XYZprinting da Vinci Junior 1.0 3D Printer. It features a build volume of 5.9 x 5.9 x 5.9", a 100-400 micron layer resolution, and uses a single extruder that is compatible with 1.75mm PLA filament. Designs can be printed using USB 2.0 and SD cards up to 32GB. If you like this printer, but desire Wi-Fi connectivity, check out the XYZprinting da Vinci Jr. 1.0w 3D Printer. Also designed for beginners, the da Vinci Mini 3D Printer is 30% smaller than the Jr. 1.0, yet features the same open and non-heated aluminum print bed, build volume, layer resolution, and filament compatibility, plus USB/Wi-Fi connectivity.
For those who prefer to use 3D printers with a smaller form factor, Tiertime offers its UP mini 2 3D Printer with a build volume of 4.7 x 4.7 x 4.7", 150-400 micron layer resolution, a single extruder that uses 1.75mm ABS, ABS+, and PLA filament, Wi-Fi and USB connectivity, and more. Designers should not hesitate to check out Tiertime’s UP Plus 2 3D Printer, which offers precision with its 5.5 x 5.5 x 5.3" build volume, 100-400 micron layer resolution, 1.75mm ABS/ABS+/PLA filament compatibility, and USB connectivity. MakerBot also offers the Replicator Mini+ 3D Printer, with a build volume of 4 x 5 x 5", 100-400 micron layer resolution, a single extruder that uses 1.75mm PLA filament, and USB/Wi-Fi connectivity.
If you need to craft larger prints, MakerBot’s Replicator+ 3D Printer provides build sizes up to 11.6 x 7.6 x 6.5", 100-400 micron layer resolution, a single extruder that uses 1.75mm PLA filament, and USB, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi connectivity. Made for pros who require faster and precise prints, TierTime’s UP BOX+ 3D Printer delivers build volumes up to 10 x 8 x 8", feature 100-400 micron layer resolution, a single extruder nozzle that uses ABS, ABS+, and PLA filament, and USB/Wi-Fi connectivity. Last, for the grand-daddy of build volumes, CraftUnique’s CraftBot XL 3D Printer is an engineer’s dream, with a build volume of 11.8 x 7.9 x 17.3" in an open print chamber, 50-micron layer resolution, a single extruder nozzle that uses 1.75mm filament, print speeds of 50 to 200mm/s, USB and Wi-Fi connectivity, and a heated print bed.
If you’re looking for something more unique, Flashforge’s Inventor Dual Extrusion 3D Printer has two extruders that use 1.75mm ABS, PLA, soluble, flexible, and composite filaments to create prints with layer resolutions of up to 50 microns. Having dual extruders also allows for the use of different-colored filaments in a print.
Given the chance that you feel filament is so yesterday, why not print with resin? Flashforge’s Hunter DLP Resin 3D Printer is an advanced digital light processing (DLP) 3D printer that uses additive manufacturing technology. It creates prints with layer resolutions of 12.5, 25, and 50 microns and prints from its aluminum resin tray with pre-installed vat film that supports multiple types of resin. It features a build volume of 4.72 x 2.66 x 5.91", an 800 MHz Dual-Core processor, a Full HD 1080p light engine with a 405nm LED, a touchscreen LCD, and support for .stl files that can be printed using wired USB, a USB flash drive, or Wi-Fi.
As I mentioned earlier, for those who wish to save time on the design process, Flashforge’s Inventor Dual Extrusion 3D Printer and XYZprinting’s da Vinci 1.0 All-in-One 3D Printer and da Vinci 1.1 Plus 3D Printer all contain a built-in camera, while the da Vinci 1.0 Pro 3-in-1 3D Printer features a 3D scanner and as an optional add-on, a laser engraver for etching on wood, leather, and cardboard. The MakerBot Replicator Z18 3D Printer has an onboard 320 x 240 camera, and if you prefer stand-alone 3D scanners, check out the Occipital Structure Sensor 3D Scanner, XYZprinting 3D Scanner Pro, or Afinia EinScan.
Now that your 3D print has been completed, does it need some refining? Rather than reprint the entire design, consider using 3Doodler’s Create 3D Printing Pen or XYZprinting’s da Vinci 3D Pen to touch things up.
So, after all this talk about 3D printers, what types of gifts can you print with them? Essentially, the sky is the limit. If you can design it or import it into 3D printing software, there’s basically a definite chance that your 3D printer can create it. However, popular items that are often 3D printed include jewelry, ornaments, smartphone/tablet stands or cases, vases, game pieces (chess/checkers), and 3D portraits, to name a few.
Do you have a favorite 3D printer and filament you like to use? What are your favorite objects to 3D print? Feel free to comment below.
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