3D Printing Guides: Materials, Print Quality, and Maker Workflows

Pick the task you want to accomplish. These paths bring the most useful guides together without making you work through a giant archive.

What are you working on?

New to 3D printing

Make a useful first part, then learn the few settings that control the result.

Start here

Set up your printer

Work through the basics before changing profiles or replacing hardware.

Use the setup checklist

Fix a failed print

Choose a visible symptom and change one variable at a time.

Find your symptom

Make better functional parts

Balance fit, strength, finish and time for the actual job.

Explore print settings

Find something useful to print

Browse featured organizers and practical models, with source links in each spotlight.

Explore featured models

Start a small print business

Validate a product, calculate its real cost and build a repeatable order process.

Open the business starter

Choose a material

Compare common filament materials by how your part will be used, then explore colors and product lines.

Compare filament materials · Browse the filament database

Choose a printer

Start with the parts and materials you want to print, then compare printer specifications side by side.

Find a printer · Compare printers

Estimate your print costs

Use your own material, machine, electricity and labor costs to plan a job or price an order.

Explore print calculators

Browse all guides · Read the latest 3D printing news

Explore practical guides
Start here Setup checklist Troubleshooting Materials Print settings Products to sell Featured files Custom printing FAQ Custom printing cost Product reviews Quote prep Prototype vs production Compare quotes Approve the job Check delivery Reorders Get a quote TrackTwist socket holder Honeycomb Storage Wall IKEA 365+ lid holder Model screening guide Rights and permissions First-layer problems Bed adhesion Elephant foot Stringing Warping Under-extrusion Weak layer adhesion Nozzle clogs Rough top surfaces Nozzle size Layer height Walls and perimeters Infill Top and bottom layers Orientation Support settings Support reduction Dimensional fit Lead time PLA vs PETG Filament drying When PETG makes sense Outdoor parts PETG vs ASA When TPU makes sense Bambu P1S baseline 1. Start with the full order workflow 2. Filter products that batch cleanly 3. Batch work before labor drifts 4. Lock the QC standard 5. Standardize cleanup and finishing 6. Protect margin in fulfillment Pricing Assembly Shipping software Print farm workflow Digital caliper review Cold plate review Filament dryer review Build plate review Material choice for custom parts 3No STL yet?Use this if you only have a sample, sketch, photo, or rough idea. 4Need a replacement part?Start here if the job begins with a broken original, photos, or a few dimensions. 5Reverse engineeringSee what a shop can realistically work from before paying for the wrong modeling path. 8Approve the sampleTurn a test part into a repeatable production reference. Decide whether custom printing is the better move Use a clear filter for one-off parts, repeat prototypes, short runs, and jobs where buying another printer creates more work than value. Confirm packaging, labeling, and inspection before the batch starts Use this when a good part still needs clear handling rules for sorted sets, labels, cosmetic screening, count checks, or customer-facing packing. Choose product materials without wrecking your workflow Use a product-first material screen so PLA, PETG, TPU, and ASA each get used where they actually support the listing.
Prusa OpenPrintTag NFC reader upgrade mounted under a filament spool holder
Prusa Firmware 8.0.0 Adds Open NFC Spools—Should You Update?
Prusa firmware 8.0.0 adds offline, rewritable NFC spool tracking to compatible CORE One printers, plus security, motion, connectivity, flexible-filament and INDX improvements. The firmware is broadly useful; the separate reader... Read more...