3D Printing Starter Checklist

1. Gather your supplies

• A beginner FDM 3D printer (many good ones cost under $250)
• A spool or two of PLA filament, the easy plastic to print with
• A computer or laptop to run the free slicing software
• A small tool kit and a scraper for removing and cleaning up prints

2. Your first project

3. Your first month, step by step

• Week 1: Get set up and print something simple. Unbox the printer, level the bed, load a spool of PLA, and print a small test model that came with the machine. Do not worry about design yet, just enjoy watching your first object appear.
• Week 2: Download and print ready-made models. Make a free account on Printables or Thingiverse, pick a couple of simple, useful items, and print them. This is where most people fall in love with the hobby.
• Week 3: Learn the slicer. Open the free slicing software, load a model, and try changing a few settings like layer height and infill. Notice how the changes affect the print, and get comfortable placing the model on the bed.
• Week 4: Design your first small object. Open Tinkercad in your web browser, combine a few basic shapes into something simple like a keychain or a coaster, then print your very own creation.

4. Mistakes to avoid

• Forgetting that the nozzle and bed get very hot. The print nozzle reaches around 200 C (about 400 F), so never touch it while it is heating or printing, and keep it away from curious grandchildren and pets.
• Treating resin printing like regular printing. Resin (SLA) printers use a liquid resin with strong fumes that can irritate skin, so always work in a well-ventilated room and wear nitrile gloves when handling resin and freshly printed parts.
• Skipping bed leveling. If the bed is not level and set the right distance from the nozzle, the first layer will not stick and the print fails before it really starts. Re-level whenever prints stop sticking.
• Buying the cheapest filament you can find. Bargain-bin filament is often uneven or damp, which causes jams and rough prints. A reputable mid-priced PLA saves a lot of frustration.
• Printing overhanging shapes with no supports. A printer cannot lay plastic on thin air, so tall overhangs and bridges need support structures added in the slicer or they sag into a mess.
• Skipping calibration and expecting perfection. A few minutes tuning temperature and flow is the difference between rough prints and clean ones, so run the simple calibration prints before blaming the machine.