Welcome to our comprehensive guide on 3D printing and additive manufacturing terms and definitions! This resource is designed to help both beginners and experts alike understand the jargon and technical language used in this rapidly evolving industry. We’ve compiled an alphabetical list of the most common terms, their meanings, and easy-to-understand explanations to help you navigate the world of 3D printing with ease.

3D Printing & Additive Manufacturing Glossary

Select a letter to view terms, then click a term to see its definition.

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A – B Terms:

• ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene): A common thermoplastic used in 3D printing, known for its strength and durability.
• Acetone Smoothing: A post-processing technique that uses acetone vapor to smooth the surface of ABS 3D printed parts, improving their appearance and reducing layer lines.
• Additive Manufacturing (AM): The process of creating objects by adding material layer-by-layer, as opposed to traditional subtractive manufacturing methods.
• Anisotropy: The property of being directionally dependent, often referring to the strength and mechanical properties of 3D printed parts, which can vary depending on the orientation of the layers.
• ASTM F42: A committee within ASTM International responsible for developing standards and specifications for additive manufacturing technologies, materials, and processes.
• Auto Bed Leveling: A feature on some 3D printers that automatically compensates for an uneven build plate by adjusting the Z-axis during printing, ensuring proper bed adhesion and print quality.
• Bed Adhesion: The ability of a 3D printed object to stick to the build plate during the printing process, which is essential for preventing warping and ensuring print success.
• Binder Jetting: A 3D printing technology that involves depositing a liquid binding agent onto a powder bed to form the desired object.
• Bioprinting: A type of 3D printing that uses living cells, biomaterials, or bioinks to create biological structures, such as tissues or organs, with potential applications in medical research and regenerative medicine.
• Bowden Extruder: A type of extruder commonly used in 3D printers, where the motor that pushes the filament is mounted separately from the hot end, connected by a tube. Bowden extruders typically allow for faster printing speeds but may have difficulty with flexible materials.
• Build Plate: The surface on which a 3D printer creates an object.
• Brim: A thin, flat layer of material printed around the base of a 3D printed object to improve bed adhesion and prevent warping, which is easily removed after printing.
• Bridging: A 3D printing technique that involves printing horizontal spans or connections between two points without support material. Proper bridging depends on material properties, cooling, and printer settings.
• Build Envelope: The maximum dimensions within which a 3D printer can create objects, also known as the print volume or build volume.
• BuildTak: A brand of adhesive sheet that can be applied to a 3D printer’s build plate to improve bed adhesion for various materials.
• Build Volume: The maximum size of an object that can be printed on a given 3D printer, usually defined by the X, Y, and Z dimensions of the printer’s build plate and build chamber.

C – D Terms:

• CAD (Computer-Aided Design): Software used to design 3D models for 3D printing and other manufacturing processes.
• Cartesian Coordinates: A coordinate system used in 3D printers, where the position of a point in space is defined by three values corresponding to the X, Y, and Z axes.
• Chamber: The enclosed area in a 3D printer where the printing process takes place. Some printers feature heated chambers, which help prevent warping and improve the mechanical properties of certain materials.
• CNC (Computer Numerical Control) Milling: A subtractive manufacturing process that involves using a computer-controlled machine to remove material from a workpiece, often used in conjunction with additive manufacturing.
• Cura: A popular open-source slicing software developed by Ultimaker, used to prepare 3D models for printing by generating G-code instructions for 3D printers.
• Delta Printer: A type of 3D printer that uses a delta robot mechanism, which consists of three arms connected to a triangular base that moves in the X, Y, and Z axes. Delta printers are known for their speed and accuracy.
• Direct Drive Extruder: An extruder design where the motor that pushes the filament is mounted directly to the hot end, providing better control and accuracy when printing with flexible materials.
• DLP (Digital Light Processing): A 3D printing technology that uses a digital light projector to cure photopolymer resin layer by layer.
• DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering): A metal 3D printing technology that uses a high-powered laser to selectively fuse metal powder particles layer by layer, creating complex metal parts.
• Dual Extrusion: A 3D printing feature that uses two extruders to print with multiple materials or colors in a single print job.

E – G Terms:

• Extruder: The component of a 3D printer responsible for heating and depositing material onto the build plate.
• G-Code: The machine language used to control the movements and actions of a 3D printer.
• Encapsulation: A 3D printing technique used to embed objects or materials within a printed part, creating composite structures with unique properties or functionality.
• Extrusion Width: The width of a single strand of extruded material in an FDM 3D print, which can be adjusted in the slicing software to control the thickness and strength of the printed object.
• FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling): A widely used 3D printing technology that extrudes thermoplastic material layer by layer.
• FEA (Finite Element Analysis): A numerical simulation method used to predict the mechanical behavior and performance of 3D printed parts under various conditions, such as stress, heat, or vibration.
• Filament: The material used in FDM and other material extrusion-based 3D printing processes, typically available in spools and fed into the printer’s extruder.
• Firmware: The software that runs on a 3D printer’s microcontroller, responsible for interpreting G-code instructions and controlling the printer’s movements and actions.
• First Layer: The initial layer of material deposited by a 3D printer, which is crucial for achieving proper bed adhesion and ensuring a successful print.
• Filament Dryer: A device used to remove moisture from hygroscopic 3D printing filaments, such as nylon or PVA, which can absorb moisture from the air and negatively impact print quality.
• Firmware: The software that runs on a 3D printer’s control board, responsible for interpreting G-code and controlling the printer’s movements, temperature, and other functions.
• Glass Transition Temperature: The temperature at which a material changes from a rigid, glassy state to a more flexible, rubbery state. For thermoplastics used in 3D printing, the glass transition temperature can affect the print’s dimensional stability and mechanical properties.
• Glass Transition Temperature: The temperature at which a thermoplastic material transitions from a rigid, glassy state to a softer, rubbery state. This property is important when considering the temperature resistance of 3D printed parts.
• Granular Materials: Fine, powder-like materials used in certain 3D printing processes, such as SLS or binder jetting, which are selectively fused or bound together to create the desired object.
• Gyroid Infill: A type of infill pattern used in 3D printing that consists of a continuous, three-dimensional lattice structure. Gyroid infill provides good strength-to-weight ratio and is more efficient in material usage compared to traditional infill patterns.

H – L Terms:

• Heated Bed: A feature of some 3D printers where the build plate is heated to improve bed adhesion and reduce warping, especially when printing with materials like ABS.
• Heated Build Chamber: An enclosed, temperature-controlled environment surrounding the build platform of a 3D printer, which can help improve print quality and reduce warping, particularly when printing with materials sensitive to temperature changes.
• HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene): A thermoplastic material used in 3D printing, known for its strength and impact resistance. HIPS can also be used as a dissolvable support material when printed alongside ABS.
• IGES (Initial Graphics Exchange Specification): A file format used for the exchange of 3D CAD data between different software programs, often used in 3D printing applications.
• Infill: The internal structure of a 3D printed object that provides support and strength.
• Interlayer Bonding: The adhesion between layers in a 3D printed object, which can affect the object’s strength and mechanical properties.
• Infill Overlap: A slicer setting that determines the amount of overlap between the infill and the perimeters of a 3D printed object, which can affect the strength and adhesion between the two.
• Laser Sintering: A 3D printing process that uses a laser to selectively heat and fuse granular materials, such as plastic or metal powders, to create a solid object.
• Lattice Structure: A lightweight, open structure used to reduce material usage and weight in 3D printed parts.
• Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM): A 3D printing technology that involves cutting and stacking thin layers of material, such as paper or plastic, to create a 3D object.
• Layer Height: The thickness of each layer in a 3D printed object, typically measured in microns.
• Layer Adhesion: The bond strength between the individual layers of a 3D printed object, which is influenced by factors such as material properties, printing temperature, and layer height.
• Layer Shift: A common 3D printing defect characterized by a misalignment between the layers of a printed object, which can be caused by mechanical issues, incorrect printer settings, or other factors.
• Lost-Wax Casting: A traditional casting technique that can be combined with 3D printing by creating a wax model of a part, surrounding it in a mold material, and then burning away the wax to create a cavity for casting metal or other materials.

M – O Terms:

• Material Extrusion: A 3D printing process that involves depositing material layer by layer through a heated nozzle.
• Mesh: The digital representation of a 3D object’s surface, composed of interconnected vertices, edges, and faces.
• Overhang: A part of a 3D model that extends horizontally without support from the layers below.
• Maker Movement: A global, grassroots community of DIY enthusiasts, inventors, and hobbyists who use 3D printing and other digital fabrication tools to create, share, and innovate.
• Mesh Repair: The process of fixing errors or inconsistencies in a 3D model’s mesh geometry, which can cause problems during slicing or 3D printing. Mesh repair tools can be found in various CAD and 3D modeling software.
• Metal Filament: A type of composite filament used in FDM 3D printing that contains a mixture of thermoplastic and metal powder, resulting in parts with a metallic appearance and unique properties.
• Minimum Feature Size: The smallest detail or feature that a 3D printer can accurately reproduce, which depends on factors such as nozzle size, layer height, and material properties.
• Multi-Material Printing: A 3D printing technique that involves using multiple materials, such as different types of polymers or colors, in a single print job to create objects with varying properties or appearances.
• Nozzle Diameter: The size of the opening in a 3D printer’s nozzle, which affects the width of the extruded material and the minimum feature size that can be printed.
• OctoPrint: An open-source, web-based interface for controlling and monitoring 3D printers remotely, allowing users to upload G-code, start and stop prints, and view print progress.
• Ooze Shield: A feature in some slicing software that creates a sacrificial perimeter around a 3D printed object to help prevent stringing and contamination when printing with multiple materials or colors.
• Open-Source: A term referring to software or hardware designs that are freely available to the public, allowing users to modify, improve, or redistribute them. Many 3D printers and slicing software are based on open-source platforms.
• Over-Extrusion: A 3D printing issue that occurs when too much material is extruded, resulting in blobs, stringing, or other defects on the printed object. Over-extrusion can be caused by incorrect slicing settings, filament diameter inconsistencies, or extruder calibration issues.

P – R Terms:

• Part Orientation: The positioning of a 3D model on the build plate before printing, which can affect print time, material usage, and the strength of the printed object.
• PEEK (Polyether Ether Ketone): A high-performance thermoplastic material used in 3D printing, known for its excellent mechanical properties, high temperature resistance, and chemical resistance.
• Perimeter: The outer shell of a 3D printed object, which can be printed with multiple layers or “shells” to increase the part’s strength and durability.
• Photopolymer: A light-sensitive resin used in various 3D printing technologies, including SLA and DLP.
• Post-Processing: The steps taken to finish and refine a 3D printed object after printing is complete.
• PLA (Polylactic Acid): A biodegradable, plant-based thermoplastic material commonly used in 3D printing, known for its ease of use, low odor, and wide range of available colors.
• Post-Curing: The process of exposing a 3D printed object to UV light or heat after printing to improve its mechanical properties and fully solidify the material, often necessary for parts printed with SLA or DLP technology.
• Print Cooling Fan: A fan or blower attached to a 3D printer’s hot end assembly, which directs airflow over the freshly-extruded filament to help it cool and solidify more quickly, improving print quality and reducing warping.
• PolyJet: A 3D printing technology that involves jetting layers of liquid photopolymer onto a build platform and curing them with UV light, allowing for high-resolution prints with multiple materials or colors.
• Print Speed: The rate at which a 3D printer can deposit material or move its extruder, which can affect print time, quality, and accuracy.
• Raft: A disposable support structure that helps improve adhesion between the 3D printed object and the build plate.
• Rapid Prototyping: The process of quickly creating physical prototypes or parts using 3D printing and other digital fabrication techniques, allowing for faster design iterations and reduced product development time.
• Resin: A viscous, liquid material used in photopolymer-based 3D printing technologies, such as SLA and DLP, which is cured by light to form solid objects.
• Retraction Settings: Slicer settings that control the pulling back of the filament during non-printing moves to help minimize stringing, oozing, and other print defects caused by excess material being extruded.
• Rigid.ink: A brand of high-quality 3D printer filament known for its consistent diameter, material properties, and color range.

S – T Terms:

• Slicing: The process of converting a 3D model into layers, or “slices,” for 3D printing.
• SLA (Stereolithography): A 3D printing technology that uses a laser to cure liquid photopolymer resin layer by layer.
• Support Material: Material used to create temporary structures that support overhangs and other complex features during 3D printing.
• TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane): A flexible and durable material used in 3D printing, often for parts that require elasticity.
• Shell: The outer layers of a 3D printed object that determine its strength, durability, and appearance. Shells can be adjusted in the slicing software to improve part properties.
• Skirt: A single or multiple perimeter outline printed around the object before printing the actual model. It serves as a priming mechanism to ensure proper filament flow and nozzle temperature, and can also help identify potential bed leveling issues.
• SLM (Selective Laser Melting): A metal 3D printing technology that uses a high-powered laser to fully melt and fuse metal powder particles layer by layer, creating dense, high-strength parts.
• Slicer Profiles: Sets of predefined or custom settings in slicing software that are optimized for specific 3D printers, materials, or print qualities, allowing users to quickly switch between different configurations.
• Solid Modeling: A type of 3D modeling technique used in CAD software, where objects are represented as solid, three-dimensional shapes rather than just wireframe or surface models. This allows for more accurate simulations, analysis, and export for 3D printing.
• STEP (Standard for the Exchange of Product Data): A widely-used file format for exchanging 3D CAD data between different software programs, often used in 3D printing applications.
• STL (Stereolithography) File: A common file format used in 3D printing to represent the surface geometry of a 3D model, which is then sliced and converted into G-code for printing.
• Support Material: A secondary material used in 3D printing to support overhangs, bridges, and other complex geometries that cannot be printed without assistance.
• Support Interface: The uppermost layers of support structures that are in direct contact with the overhanging parts of a 3D printed object, which can be adjusted in the slicing software to improve surface quality and ease of support removal.
• T-glass (Toughened Glass): A type of glass material that is specially designed for 3D printing, offering improved strength, flexibility, and temperature resistance compared to traditional glass materials.
• Thermal Runaway: A dangerous condition that can occur when a 3D printer’s heating elements do not properly regulate temperature, leading to overheating and potentially damaging or melting components, or even causing a fire. Many modern 3D printers have safety features to detect and prevent thermal runaway.
• Topology Optimization: A design method used in 3D printing to create lightweight, efficient structures by optimizing the distribution of material based on specific performance criteria and constraints.
• TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane): A flexible, rubber-like material used in 3D printing, known for its elasticity, durability, and resistance to abrasion.

U – Z Terms:

• Ultimaker: A leading manufacturer of FDM 3D printers and the creator of the popular open-source slicing software, Cura.
• Under-Extrusion: A 3D printing issue that occurs when not enough material is extruded, resulting in gaps, thin walls, or weak layers in the printed object. Under-extrusion can be caused by incorrect slicing settings, filament diameter inconsistencies, or extruder calibration issues.
• Voxel: A term derived from “volume” and “pixel,” representing the smallest three-dimensional unit in a 3D model or printed object. Voxels can be used to describe the internal structure, material properties, or color information of an object in 3D printing and other digital fabrication techniques.
• Warping: A common issue in 3D printing where the object’s edges lift from the build plate due to uneven cooling and material contraction.
• X, Y, and Z-Axis: The three axes of movement in 3D printing; X and Y correspond to the horizontal plane, while Z represents the vertical plane.
• Vase Mode: A 3D printing technique that involves printing a continuous, single-layer spiral path from the bottom to the top of the object, resulting in a hollow, vase-like structure with smooth outer surfaces.
• Water-Soluble Supports: Support structures made from materials like PVA or HIPS that can be dissolved in water or another solvent, making it easy to remove them from a 3D printed object without damaging the surface or intricate details.
• X-Axis: The horizontal axis in a Cartesian coordinate system, typically referring to the left-to-right movement of a 3D printer’s print head or build platform.
• XTC-3D: A brand of epoxy-based coating that can be applied to 3D printed parts to smooth their surfaces, improve their appearance, and add strength.
• Z-Offset: The distance between the build plate and the nozzle in a 3D printer, which can be adjusted to improve adhesion and print quality
• Z-Banding: A common 3D printing defect characterized by horizontal lines or ridges on the printed object, which can be caused by inconsistencies in the Z-axis movement or other factors.
• Z-Hop: A slicer setting that lifts the printer’s nozzle slightly when moving between non-printing areas, helping to reduce stringing and improve print quality.
• Z-Seam: The point at which the layers of a 3D printed object begin and end, resulting in a visible seam or line on the surface. The z-seam can be strategically placed or minimized in the slicing software to improve the appearance of the final print.
• Z-Hop: A slicer setting that causes the nozzle to lift slightly along the Z-axis during non-printing moves, helping to reduce the risk of the nozzle colliding with or dragging across the surface of the 3D printed object.

We hope this guide on 3D printing and additive manufacturing terms and definitions helps you better understand the fascinating world of 3D printing. As the industry continues to evolve and innovate, be sure to check back regularly for updates and new terms. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or need assistance with any specific terminology.