FDM / FFF
A heated nozzle traces the shape in molten filament. Each pass adds a layer; the toolhead rises as the object takes form.
- Feed and melt the filament
- Trace the cross-section
- Move up. Repeat.
A world of 3D printing
Ideas
take shape.
Discover the machines, materials, and ideas
behind a new way of making.
Lattice vaseLayered form
Choose
your process.
Filament
Build with a continuous thread.
Resin
Bring fine details to light.
Powder
Discover new material possibilities.
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Inspect 
Form 12012Inspect Form 1+2014Inspect Form 22015Inspect Fuse 12017Inspect Form 32019Inspect Form 3L2019Inspect Form 3B2019Inspect Form 3BL2020Inspect Form 3+2022Inspect Form 3B+2022Inspect Fuse 1+ 30W2022Inspect Form 42024Inspect Form 4B2024Inspect Form 4L2024Inspect Form 4BL2024Inspect Fuse X12026Inspect Form Studio 12026 · New
Form 12012Inspect 
Form 1+2014Inspect 
Form 22015Inspect 
Fuse 12017Inspect 
Form 32019Inspect 
Form 3L2019Inspect 
Form 3B2019Inspect 
Form 3BL2020Inspect 
Form 3+2022Inspect 
Form 3B+2022Inspect 
Fuse 1+ 30W2022Inspect 
Form 42024Inspect 
Form 4B2024Inspect 
Form 4L2024Inspect 
Form 4BL2024Inspect 
Fuse X12026Inspect 
Form Studio 12026 · New
Original photography & model references
Original Formlabs product photography, cropped and arranged for this editorial feature. Product proportions and photographed details are preserved; machines are not displayed to a common scale. Dates indicate announcements.
- Form 1 — Courtesy of Formlabs, via MIT News
- Form 1+ — Manufacturer image: Formlabs
- Form 2 — Formlabs Inc. / CC BY 2.0
- Fuse 1 — Manufacturer image: Formlabs
- Form 3 — Manufacturer image: Formlabs
- Form 3L — Manufacturer image: Formlabs
- Form 3B — Manufacturer image: Formlabs
- Form 3BL — Manufacturer image: Formlabs
- Form 3+ — Manufacturer image: Formlabs
- Form 3B+ — Manufacturer image: Formlabs
- Fuse 1+ 30W — Manufacturer image: Formlabs
- Form 4 — Manufacturer image: Formlabs
- Form 4B — Manufacturer image: Formlabs
- Form 4L — Manufacturer image: Formlabs
- Form 4BL — Manufacturer image: Formlabs
- Fuse X1 — Formlabs — official manufacturer image
- Form Studio 1 — Manufacturer image: Formlabs
Independent editorial feature by 3Dprintsy.
02 DLP / SLA
A layer,
made of light.
Light cures a layer. The plate lifts and repeats.
Learn about DLP / SLA
Print a layer
Layer 4 / 12Scroll to build ↓Skip walkthrough ↓
How it works & sources
DLP / SLA
DLP projects a complete cross-section; laser SLA traces it with a moving spot. Both examples cure resin through a transparent vat floor, then lift and return the inverted build plate for the next layer.
- Cure with a projector or laser
- Lift the plate to release the layer
- Return. Refill. Repeat.
SLS
A recoater spreads fresh powder. A laser fuses the cross-section, then the platform lowers. The object grows inside a bed of loose powder.
- Spread a thin powder layer
- Laser-fuse the cross-section
- Lower the bed. Repeat.
Layer thickness, paths, and cycle timing are exaggerated for clarity. Resin diagrams show an inverted configuration; other configurations and release mechanisms exist. The FDM example raises the toolhead; some machines move the bed instead. SLS is a transparent cutaway: loose powder normally surrounds the part. These are conceptual mechanisms, not exact machine replicas or speed comparisons.
The learning library
Latest posts
Go beyond the first layer.
All 20 guides
The ideas that changed making
Every breakthrough.
A new beginning.
Explore the history 1981 / Published research
Light becomes a building tool.
Hideo Kodama describes making solid models by exposing liquid photopolymer, one cross-section at a time.
Discover this moment
1989 / Patent application
A new way to draw in three dimensions.
Scott Crump files his extrusion-printing patent application. A controlled nozzle deposits material to build a shape in layers.
Discover this moment
2005 / Open-source project
Making opens up to more makers.
Adrian Bowyer starts RepRap: an open-source project for machines that can print many of the parts needed to build another.
Discover this moment
2016 / Commercial introduction
Powder opens another path to production.
HP introduces its first commercial Jet Fusion systems, using agents and thermal energy to form parts in a powder bed.
Discover this moment
Four moments from a much bigger story.Continue to materials ↓
The material library
Start with what
it needs to do.
Different materials.
Different possibilities.
01PLAMake an idea tangible02PETGMake it useful03TPUGive it some flex04ResinBring out the detail05PA12Build complex parts
Visual models
A good place to start.
For early concepts and display pieces where shape and detail matter most.
- Made for
- Concept models · Display pieces
- Keep in mind
- Ordinary PLA is a poor choice for demanding heat exposure.
Everyday function
Put the prototype to work.
A practical starting point for useful housings, holders, and everyday functional prototypes.
- Made for
- Housings · Holders · Brackets
- Keep in mind
- Stringing and bridges can need extra tuning.
Flexible parts
Design a little give.
For parts that need to bend or compress. Choose the hardness to suit the job.
- Made for
- Bumpers · Grips · Flexible covers
- Keep in mind
- Softer grades can be harder to feed and print.
Fine features
Make the details count.
General-purpose photopolymer resin for intricate visual prototypes and detailed display models.
- Made for
- Detailed models · Props · Visual prototypes
- Keep in mind
- Washing and the specified finishing process are part of the workflow.
Functional geometry
Complexity, built in.
A polyamide powder used for functional parts, intricate geometry, and small production batches.
- Made for
- Housings · Complex parts · Small batches
- Keep in mind
- Plan for powder recovery and surface finishing.