Category Archives: 3D Printing

The Translation: Bridging happens when your 3D printer has to stretch a line of hot, melted plastic across an open gap in mid-air, connecting two pillars without any support underneath it. Use It In a Sentence: “I upgraded the cooling fans on my printer, and now its bridging is flawless without any sagging.” Why YouContinue reading “Bridging”

The Translation: The extruder is the entire mechanism on a 3D printer that pulls the plastic filament off the spool, pushes it down into the hot nozzle, and melts it onto the build plate. Think of it like the mechanical back-end of a highly precise hot glue gun. Use It In a Sentence: “My printContinue reading “Extruder”

The Translation: Infill is the internal structure of a 3D printed object. Instead of printing a solid block of plastic (which wastes material and takes forever), printers create a hollow shell filled with a honeycomb or grid pattern inside. Use It In a Sentence: “I printed this shelf bracket with 40% infill so it wouldContinue reading “Infill”

The Translation: An STL file is the standard digital file format for 3D models. Think of it as the PDF or JPEG of the 3D printing world. Use It In a Sentence: “That Batman helmet looks awesome! Do you have the link to the STL file so I can print it?” Why You Care: YouContinue reading “STL”

The Translation: PLA stands for “Polylactic Acid.” It is the absolute most common, beginner-friendly plastic filament used to print 3D objects. It’s actually made from renewable resources like corn starch. Use It In a Sentence: “I just set up my new printer and loaded a spool of black PLA to run my first test print.”Continue reading “PLA”