How tos

3D printer nozzle cleaning frequency depends on usage & material printed, but generally, every 3 months.

3D printer heater blocks do all the action of melting your filament and transforming it from a rigid tube to a moldable, shapeable goop for printing, but to keep these powerhouses in good shape, you’ll need to know how to clean them.

If you’re wondering how long it takes for a 3D printer to preheat before it can get into the action and work up your model, you aren’t alone. Preheating takes a bit of patience, but it is usually pretty quick and painless. 

Infill is considered essential to FDM 3D printing with filaments. Every popular slicer offers more than a dozen standard infill patterns to choose from, and you can customize key parameters for your 3D models.

The earliest 3D printers for consumers or hobbyists were not internet-enabled. However, some contemporary and many of the latest 3D printers are compatible with wired and wireless internet.

3D printers don’t require too much power to function properly, but in some cases, they might overload your circuit, leaving you wondering why such a small device keeps tripping the breaker.

The sounds of a 3D printer can be pretty pleasant and musical to your ears, but if you’re hearing a squeaking sound, there might be an issue with your 3D printer’s retraction.

There are plenty of ways to remove stringing and leave your print looking like it came off the printer bed perfectly. 

It might be challenging to figure out how to make a print lighter or heavier without making too many changes to your design or affecting your print’s quality.

Warping and poor adhesion are the most common challenges in 3D printing. A way to deal with them is to use adhesion assistants such as rafts and brims.