Glossary from A to Z

Abrasive filaments

Printing materials with hard additives such as carbon or glass fibres, glow pigments or metal powder. During printing, they gradually wear away the small metal tip the plastic comes out of.

ABS

A heat-resistant printing material of which LEGO bricks, for example, are made. An enclosed printer is recommended because ABS warps easily otherwise, and it smells during printing.

Air assist

An airflow that blows onto the work spot directly at the laser head. It blows away smoke and flames and gives cleaner cuts.

3D printingAccessories

AMS (Automatic Material System)

An add-on device from Bambu Lab that holds several spools and automatically feeds the printer the colour or material it needs at the moment. This gives you multi-colour prints without changing spools by hand.

ASA

A heat- and weather-resistant printing material for parts that need to withstand sun and rain outdoors. An enclosed printer is recommended and makes printing much easier.

UV printingFailure pattern

Auto bed levelling

The printer measures for itself whether the print plate is higher or lower anywhere and compensates for this automatically while printing.

B

Banding

Fine light or dark streaks across the print. They usually occur because nozzles are clogged or the printer is set incorrectly.

Bed slinger

A 3D printer in which the print plate moves back and forth during printing. Inexpensive and simple, but usually slower.

Bottom layers

The first layers of a resin print. They are exposed for much longer than the rest so that the part holds firmly to the build plate.

Bowden

The drive for the plastic strand sits on the frame, and the strand runs through a tube to the print head. This makes soft materials harder to print.

Brim

A thin, flat edge that is printed around the print to help it stay on the plate better. It is peeled off afterwards.

C

CO₂ laser

A laser in which a gas mixture in a tube generates invisible infrared light. It cuts wood and acrylic very cleanly and also engraves glass and clear acrylic.

CoreXY

A 3D printer in which only the print head moves back and forth while the print plate slowly sinks downwards. Fast and easy to build into an enclosure.

MakerspaceAccessories

Cutting mat

A carrier board with a slightly sticky surface on which the material is placed for the cutting plotter so that it does not shift during cutting.

D

Delta printer

A 3D printer in which the print head hangs from three arms that travel up and down on vertical columns. Very fast, but rare.

Diode laser

The cheapest and, among hobbyists, most common type of laser: small semiconductor chips produce blue light that engraves wood, leather or paper and cuts thin material.

Direct drive

The drive for the plastic filament sits directly on the print head. This also lets soft, rubbery materials print well.

Dithering

A process in which a laser reproduces greyscale from dots. Because it usually only knows "burn" or "don't burn", the grey tone is created by the density of the dots.

Drain holes

A small hole in a hollow-printed resin part. Liquid resin drains from the inside through it, and air can flow in.

MakerspaceProcesses

DTF (Direct to Film)

A textile printing method: the design is printed onto a film, sprinkled with hot-melt powder and then transferred to the fabric with the heat press.

MakerspaceProcesses

DTG (Direct to Garment)

A textile print in which a special inkjet printer prints the design directly onto the garment, with no film or paper in between.

E

Elephant's foot

The bottom layer of a print bulges outwards and is wider than the rest. Parts then often do not fit together exactly.

Exposure time

How long each layer is illuminated in resin printing. Too short, and the layer does not solidify. Too long, and fine details fill in.

Extruder

The drive that grips the plastic strand and pushes it evenly into the print head.

F

FDM

The most common type of 3D printing at home: a plastic strand is melted and applied layer by layer to form an object, similar to a hot glue gun.

FEP film

The transparent film in the bottom of the vat of a resin printer. Light passes through it onto the resin, and each finished layer peels away from it again.

Fibre laser

A laser whose light is generated in a glass fibre. It is the standard for permanently marking and engraving metal.

Fibre-reinforced filaments (CF, GF)

Printing materials with carbon or glass fibres mixed in. Parts become stiffer and look matt, but standard nozzles wear out quickly with them.

3D printingMaterial

Filament

The printing material for most 3D printers: a thin plastic wire wound on a spool.

UV printingDesign

Flatbed printer

A UV printer with a flat support on which you place the object. The print head travels over it and prints on it directly.

MakerspaceMaterial

Flex film (HTV)

A film for ironing onto textiles. A cutting plotter cuts out the design, which is then pressed onto the fabric with heat.

Focus (laser)

The point at which the lens focuses the laser beam most tightly. Only there is the beam small and strong enough for clean engravings and cuts.

Fume extraction (laser)

A fan with a hose that draws the smoke out of the machine during lasering, to the outside or through a filter. Without extraction, smoke and harmful substances end up in the room air.

G

LaserDesign

Galvo

A design in which the laser head stands still and two small, very fast mirrors steer the beam across the material. This is many times faster than a moving head.

Gaussian splatting

A way of representing 3D scans as many small, softly fading blobs of colour. It looks very realistic on screen but is not a model that can be printed directly.

3D printingValue

Glass transition temperature

The temperature at which a plastic changes from hard and glassy to soft and rubbery. For PLA it is only around 55 to 60 °C.

H

3D printingValue

Heat deflection temperature (HDT)

The temperature at which a plastic bends under a specified load. It shows roughly how warm a part may get.

MakerspaceDevice

Heat press

A device with a heated platen that transfers flex film, sublimation or DTF transfers onto textiles or blanks using temperature, time and pressure.

Heated chamber

The closed interior of a printer. When it is warm, sensitive materials warp less during printing.

HIPS

A printing material that serves mainly as a dissolvable support scaffold for ABS prints.

Honeycomb bed

A support made of thin metal in a honeycomb shape on which the material is placed. After the cut, the beam can pass downwards instead of scorching the underside.

UV printingColour management

Hotend

The heated part of the print head in which the plastic filament is melted.

3D printingProperty

Hygroscopic

A material is hygroscopic if it absorbs moisture from the air. Many filaments do this and then print worse.

I

ICC profile

A small file that describes how a device reproduces colours. It makes printed colours look as close as possible to those on the screen.

Infill

The fill inside a print. Printed parts are usually not solid inside but filled with a lattice pattern.

Infrared laser (1064 nm)

A laser with invisible infrared light at 1064 nm. On hobby machines usually a small add-on module with which you mark metal and plastic.

3D printingCalibration

Input shaping

A function of the printer firmware that compensates for vibrations in the mechanics. This keeps surfaces smooth even at high speed.

3D printingAccessories

Isopropyl alcohol (IPA)

An alcohol for cleaning. In resin printing it washes liquid resin off freshly printed parts, and in filament printing it degreases the print plate.

K

Kerf

The width of the material the laser burns away when cutting. It decides whether slot joints and puzzle pieces fit together precisely.

L

Laser classes

A classification of how dangerous a laser is for eyes and skin. It ranges from class 1 (harmless in normal operation) to class 4 (very dangerous).

Laser marking (annealing)

In marking, the laser only changes the colour of the surface without removing any significant material. In annealing, heat turns stainless steel dark or colourful.

Laser power

How strong the laser is, given in watts. What matters is whether the figure means the light power emitted or only the power consumption.

Laser safety glasses

Special glasses that block exactly the light of your laser. They protect only if they match the wavelength and filter strongly enough.

Layer height

How thick each printed layer is. Thinner layers look finer, but the print takes longer.

LED UV curing

The hardening of the ink under UV light. A lamp directly next to the print head cures every printed pass immediately.

3D printingTechnology

LiDAR

A sensor that measures distances using light. Smartphones and tablets use it to capture rooms and large objects quickly and roughly.

LaserSoftware

LightBurn

A widely used program for designing and controlling laser engravers. It runs with many devices from different manufacturers.

3D printingConsumer purchase law

Line interval

The distance between the lines that the laser runs side by side when engraving an area. Smaller intervals give denser, darker areas.

3D printingUse

Lithophane

A thin image that only becomes visible against the light: thin areas let a lot of light through and look bright, thick ones look dark.

M

Manufacturer's warranty

A voluntary promise, usually from the manufacturer: if the device breaks within a certain time, it is repaired or replaced. What exactly applies is set by the warrantor.

3D printingData

Mesh (triangle mesh)

The surface of a 3D model, made up of a great many small triangles. This is how STL, 3MF and OBJ files store their shape.

LaserDesign

MOPA

A special type of fibre laser in which the length of the light pulses can be adjusted. Among other things, this makes coloured marks on stainless steel possible.

MSLA

The most common type of resin printer for home use: a screen lets light through only where the resin is to solidify in that layer.

Multi-colour printing

Add-on devices or printers that automatically switch between several colours or materials during printing.

N

Nozzle

The small metal tip from which the molten plastic emerges. Its opening determines how finely you can print.

UV printingMaintenance

Nozzle check

A short test pattern that shows whether all nozzles of the print head are working cleanly. Missing lines mean that nozzles are clogged.

P

PA (nylon)

Nylon: a tough, wear-resistant printing material for gears, hinges and heavily loaded parts. Demanding to print.

Part cooling fan

The fan on the print head that blows directly onto the freshly printed material so that it solidifies quickly. Important for overhangs, bridges and fine details.

Passes

How often the laser traces the same path. Several passes at lower power cut thicker material more cleanly than a single pass that is too strong.

PC (polycarbonate)

A very hard, impact-resistant and heat-resistant printing material for engineering parts. Printable well only with a hot, enclosed printer.

PCTG

A printing material from the PETG family, but considerably more impact-resistant. It is about as easy to print.

PEEK / PEKK

High-performance printing materials from industry and medical technology. Extremely resistant to heat and chemicals, but printable only with specialised printers that can reach very high nozzle, bed and chamber temperatures.

3D printingBuild plate

PEI

A plastic with two roles: as a coating on print plates it makes prints stick well. As a printing material it is an extremely heat-resistant specialist plastic.

PETG

A robust printing material, stronger and more heat-resistant than PLA. Good for brackets and parts that need to withstand some stress.

PETG HF

A PETG from Bambu Lab developed for fast printing. HF stands for High Flow, meaning high throughput.

Photogrammetry

A 3D model made from many ordinary photos: software calculates the shape from images that show the object from all sides.

UV printingPart

Piezo print head

A type of print head in which a tiny component pushes the ink out of the nozzle using an electrical voltage, entirely without heat. That is why it is suitable for UV ink.

PLA

The simplest and most popular printing material. Good for decoration, figures and prototypes, but it softens even in the heat of a car.

PLA+ (PLA Plus)

A PLA that the manufacturer advertises as improved, usually as tougher and less brittle. What exactly is different is defined by each manufacturer.

3D printingData

Point cloud

The raw result of a 3D scan: very many individual measurement points in space which together describe the surface of the object.

3D printingPost-processing

Poop and prime tower (purge)

When a printer changes colour in the middle of a print, it first has to push out the old colour. This waste ends up as small plastic worms behind the printer or in a small tower printed alongside the actual part.

Post-curing

After washing, a resin part goes under UV light once more. Only then does it reach its full strength.

PP (polypropylene)

A lightweight, chemical-resistant printing material, as used in many household containers. It adheres poorly to ordinary print plates.

3D printingCalibration

Pressure advance (linear advance)

A function of the printer firmware that predicts the pressure in the nozzle. This makes corners sharper and the starts and ends of lines more even.

UV printingAccessories

Primer (UV printing)

A thin, clear liquid that is wiped onto the material before printing. It ensures that the UV ink does not flake off smooth surfaces.

Print bed

The plate on which the object is printed. It is usually heated so that the print sticks to it.

UV printingPart

Print head (inkjet)

The component of a UV printer that sprays the ink onto the material in tiny droplets. It has hundreds to thousands of fine nozzles.

MakerspaceFunction

Print then Cut

Print first, then cut: a normal printer prints the design with marks, then the plotter cuts it out along the contours.

PVA

A water-soluble printing material for support structures. After printing, you put the part in water and the supports dissolve.

R

3D printingAccessories

Reference markers

Small round adhesive dots that are stuck on or next to the object. They let the 3D scanner recognise how to stitch the individual scans together.

3D printingBuying guide

Refurbished

A used or returned device that is checked, repaired if necessary and sold again. What exactly is behind it is defined by each seller.

Relief and texture

Many layers printed on top of each other create raised areas that you can feel, for example brush strokes, wood grain or Braille.

3D printingMaterial

Resin (photopolymer)

The liquid printing material of resin printers: a synthetic resin that hardens under light. It produces very fine parts such as miniatures or jewellery models.

3D printingConsumer purchase law

Retraction

The printer briefly pulls the plastic filament back before moving to another spot. That way nothing drips out on the way.

Reversal of the burden of proof

A rule for your protection: if a defect appears at the retailer within the first year after purchase, it is presumed to have been present at the time of purchase. The retailer must prove otherwise.

Reverse glass printing

The design is printed mirrored on the back of a glass or acrylic sheet. From the front, you then see it through the smooth pane, protected from scratches.

UV printingSoftware

RIP software

The program that converts an image into exact print instructions for the UV printer. It determines where colour, white and varnish end up.

UV printingAccessories

Rotary attachment (UV printing)

An accessory that slowly rotates round objects such as bottles or mugs during printing. This makes it possible to print all the way round.

3D printingConsumer purchase law

Rotary axis (laser)

An add-on device that rotates round objects such as mugs, bottles or pens under the laser. This lets you engrave all the way round.

MakerspaceMaterial

Rub-on (transfer)

A design on a carrier sheet that is transferred to a surface by firm rubbing. Only the design is left behind, without a visible film edge.

S

3D printingSoftware

Slicer

The programme on the computer that slices a 3D model into layers and creates the instructions for the printer from it.

Statutory warranty (legal guarantee)

Your statutory right against the seller if a purchased device already had a defect at handover. When buying from a retailer, it applies for two years.

Stringing

Fine plastic threads between separate parts of the print that look like cobwebs.

Structured light (fringe projection)

A scanning method in which a pattern of stripes or dots is projected onto the object. From the distortion of the pattern, the scanner calculates the shape.

MakerspaceProcesses

Sublimation (sublimation printing)

A process in which a printed design is transferred with heat into polyester or coated blanks. The colour then sits in the material and cannot be felt.

Suction cup effect (cupping)

A resin printing fault: a shell-shaped part sticks to the film like a suction cup. When lifting, a hole often tears in the wall.

Support tips (contact points)

The thin upper end of a support in resin printing, that is, the spot where the support touches the model. Its size decides how firmly the part is held and how visible the marks are afterwards.

Supports (support structures)

Auxiliary scaffolds that are printed along with the part so that overhanging sections do not hang in mid-air. They are broken off after printing.

T

3D printingCalibration

Temperature tower

A test print made of several floors, each printed at a different nozzle temperature. From the result you can see which temperature suits your filament best.

Tool changer

A printer with several print heads that automatically switches heads during printing. This allows colours and materials to be combined with almost no waste.

TPU

A soft, rubbery printing material. It is used, for example, to print phone cases, seals or non-slip feet.

U

UV printingProcesses

UV DTF

A design is printed onto a film with UV ink and then transferred to an object like a sticker. This also lets you decorate things that do not fit into the printer.

UV printingInk

UV ink

The ink of a UV printer. It stays liquid until it is exposed to UV light and then solidifies within seconds.

UV printingProcesses

UV printing

A printing process in which the ink becomes solid directly after application with UV light. This allows almost any surface to be printed, such as metal, wood, glass, acrylic or leather.

UV printingInk

UV varnish

A transparent ink laid over the print. It makes areas glossy, protects the colour or creates raised, tactile textures.

V

Vat heating

A heater in the resin printer that keeps the resin in the vat warm. Warm resin flows better, which makes prints in cool rooms more reliable.

W

Warping

The corners of a print curl upwards and come off the plate. It happens mainly in cold and draughts.

MakerspaceStep

Weeding

After plotting, remove the excess film material around the design so that only the design remains on the carrier.

UV printingInk

White ink

Opaque white ink that is printed beneath the coloured inks. Without it, prints on dark or transparent materials would be pale or barely visible.

White underbase

A layer of white ink that is printed first and on which the colours then lie. It makes colours stand out on dark or transparent substrates.

Z

Z offset

How far the nozzle is above the print plate at the start. If this distance is wrong, the first layer adheres poorly.