The 3D printing process builds a three-dimensional object from a computer-aided design (CAD) model, usually by successively adding material layer by layer, which is why it is also called additive manufacturing. The term "3D printing" covers a variety of processes in which material is joined or solidified under computer control to create a three-dimensional object, with material being added together (such as liquid molecules or powder grains being fused together), typically layer by layer. In the 1990s, 3D-printing techniques were considered suitable only for the production of functional or aesthetic prototypes and a more appropriate term for it was rapid prototyping. As of 2019, the precision, repeatability, and material range have increased to the point that some 3D-printing processes are considered viable as an industrial-production technology, whereby the term additive manufacturing can be used synonymously with "3D printing". One of the key advantages of 3D printing is the ability to produce very complex shapes or geometries, including hollow parts or parts with internal truss structures (aka infil) to reduce weight, and a prerequisite for producing any 3D printed part is a digital 3D model or a CAD file. The file types we currently work with are typically psd, f3d, f3z, stl, gcode and ctb.

The most-commonly used 3D-printing process (46% as of 2018) is a material extrusion technique called fused deposition modeling (FDM). While FDM technology was invented after the other two most popular technologies, stereolithography (SLA) and selective laser sintering (SLS), FDM is typically the most inexpensive of the three by a large margin, which lends to the popularity of the process. SLA Resin has a much higher level of Dimensional Accuracy (0.01mm) in comparison to FDM (0.2mm) and SLS (0.3mm). SLA Resin printing makes it possible to print parts with little to no noticeable layer lines. If there are layer lines visible, the resin is easily sand-able to a smooth finish whereas FDM filaments such as PLA, TPU and Nylon are NOT sand-able to a smooth finish. This makes it possible for a resin printer to produce highly intricate parts that are able to go straight to market. This means it's possible to completely skip the whole expensive injection molding process! Sometimes this is even possible with FPM as well.

​

SLA Resins are a wide variety but most of them are very difficult to work with because they're only able to be cleaned off of surfaces with IPA (Isopropl Alcohol). Some resins are so annoying IPA does not even clean them off. However back in 2019 a new kind of Water Washable resin hit the market that solved this problem. Now it's quick and easy to clean up resin using only water. Preferably you'd use a cloth or paper towel though as well. Another problem that made it difficult to work with SLA Resins was the stinky odor it would give off. Now the odor in most resins is so low it's barely noticeable. In my experience I only barely notice it when I open up the lid of the printer after it's printed and often times I don't even notice it then at all. We currently only work with Water Washable resin. We only buy black, grey, white and clear colors which might sound very limiting, however white and clear resin dye's very easily which allows us to make pretty much any color we want. Dying white makes a variety of solid colors whereas dying clear makes a variety of translucent colors. These 2 colors have the ability for light waves to pass through them. The Translucent colors look especially beautiful when light is passed through them.