3D Printing Glossary
A–Z reference of 3D printing terms, materials, hardware, and pricing metrics — for MakerWorld makers and print-farm owners.
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2 terms3D Printing
The process of creating three-dimensional solid objects from a digital CAD file by joining material layer by layer.
3MF File Format
3D Manufacturing Format — an advanced XML-based archive format containing 3D models, textures, multi-color data, slice settings, and plate layouts.
A
5 termsABS Filament
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene — a durable engineering thermoplastic known for high impact strength, temperature resistance, and acetone vapor smoothing.
AMF File Format
Additive Manufacturing File Format — an open standard XML format supporting color, materials, lattices, and curved triangles.
AMS (Automatic Material System)
Bambu Lab’s automated multi-filament feeding unit that switches, retracts, and manages up to 4 spools per unit for multi-color 3D printing.
ASA Filament
Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate — a weather-resistant, UV-stable engineering filament ideal for outdoor functional parts.
Auto Bed Leveling (ABL)
Automated sensor-driven bed compensation that probes the build surface to correct for physical tilt, warping, and uneven heights.
B
4 termsBambu Lab
Consumer 3D printer pioneer known for high-speed CoreXY kinematics, AMS multi-color systems, and the MakerWorld 3D model platform.
Bed Adhesion
The critical bond between the first layer of molten plastic and the build surface that anchors the print during fabrication.
Bowden Extruder
An extrusion setup where the filament drive motor is mounted to the printer frame and pushes filament through a long PTFE guide tube.
Build Plate
The flat heated substrate or removable spring steel sheet on which 3D printed models are extruded and constructed.
C
5 termsCalibration Cube (XYZ)
A standard 20x20x20mm test print with embossed X, Y, and Z axes used to measure dimensional accuracy, belt tension, and steps-per-mm.
Carbon Fiber Filament (CF Composites)
Composite filament reinforced with chopped carbon fibers (PLA-CF, PETG-CF, PA-CF) for extreme rigidity, dimensional stability, and matte finish.
CoreXY Kinematics
A parallel kinematic motion system using two synchronized stationary stepper motors with intertwined belts to move the printhead on the X and Y axes.
Cura Slicer (UltiMaker)
Ultimaker’s open-source 3D slicing software, featuring deep plugin integration, tree supports, and cross-printer compatibility.
Creative Commons & 3D Print Licenses
Legal licensing frameworks governing commercial selling, modification, and attribution rights for digital 3D models.
D
2 termsDirect Drive Extruder
An extrusion assembly where the feeder stepper motor and dual drive gears are mounted directly on the moving printhead above the hotend.
Dual Extrusion & IDEX
3D printing systems featuring two separate hotends or independent dual toolheads (IDEX) for printing with soluble supports or dual colors.
E
3 termsElephant’s Foot Defect
A common 3D print defect where the bottom-most layers flare outward wider than the rest of the model due to excess bed heat or nozzle compression.
Enclosure (Passive & Heated Chambers)
A protective sealed chamber surrounding a 3D printer that maintains steady ambient internal temperatures and filters airborne fumes.
Extrusion Multiplier & Flow Rate
A slicer setting that adjusts the volume percentage of plastic extruded through the nozzle to calibrate wall thickness and eliminate gaps or over-extrusion.
F
2 termsFDM (Fused Deposition Modeling)
The dominant extrusion 3D printing technology that melts and deposits spooled thermoplastic filament layer upon layer.
Filament Weight & Gram Rates
The mass of thermoplastic in grams consumed during a print job, representing the baseline raw material cost.
G
2 termsG-code
The standard numerical programming language that instructs 3D printer motors, heaters, and extruders on exact movements.
Ghosting & Ringing Vibrations
Visual wave-like surface ripples and shadow artifacts appearing next to sharp corners, holes, or embossed letters caused by mechanical resonance.
H
2 termsHigh-Speed 3D Printing
Modern 3D printing techniques operating at speeds exceeding 250–600 mm/s with accelerations of 10,000–20,000 mm/s² using high-flow hotends and input shaping.
Hotend
The heated printer subassembly that melts solid filament into liquid plastic before extrusion through the nozzle.
I
2 termsInfill Density & Patterns
The internal grid or lattice structure printed inside a 3D model that balances part strength, weight, and printing speed.
Input Shaping (Resonance Compensation)
An open-source firmware algorithm that uses mathematical filters to cancel out machine vibrations and eliminate ghosting at high print speeds.
J
1 termK
1 termL
1 termM
4 termsMakerWorld
Bambu Lab’s 3D model sharing repository featuring verified print profiles, Maker’s Supply hardware, and points-to-cash rewards.
Metal 3D Printing (DMLS / SLM)
Industrial additive manufacturing techniques that fuse micron-scale metal powders using high-power lasers to produce flight-ready parts.
Multi-Color 3D Printing
The technique of fabricating 3D prints with multiple filament colors in a single continuous automated job.
Moisture & Wet Filament
The degradation of thermoplastic filament caused by atmospheric moisture absorption, leading to popping sounds, severe stringing, and weak layer adhesion.
N
2 termsNozzle Size & Material
The precision orifice tip of the hotend that dictates extrusion line width, maximum layer height, and flow rate.
Nylon Filament (Polyamide / PA)
Polyamide engineering thermoplastic offering extreme fatigue resistance, flexibility under stress, high impact absorption, and self-lubricating qualities.
O
2 termsOrcaSlicer
An open-source, community-driven slicer fork of Bambu Studio and PrusaSlicer featuring built-in calibration tools, multi-plate workflows, and universal printer support.
Overhangs & Bridging
Design and slicing techniques for printing horizontal spans across open air (bridging) and steep angled walls (overhangs) without support structures.
P
8 termsPC Filament (Polycarbonate)
An ultra-durable, heat-resistant engineering polymer capable of withstanding operating temperatures above 110°C and severe mechanical impacts.
PETG Filament
Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol — a tough, chemical-resistant, and UV-durable filament combining PLA ease with ABS strength.
PLA Filament
Polylactic Acid — the most popular biodegradable, easy-to-print thermoplastic made from renewable plant starches.
Print Plate (Build Plate) — Multi-Plate Batch Layouts
A print plate is one build-surface layout in a multi-plate project — used to batch sequential prints and color groups without mid-print filament changes.
Print Farm & Batch Manufacturing
A commercial manufacturing facility operating clusters of dozens or hundreds of 3D printers in parallel for on-demand batch production and rapid scaling.
Print Profile
A pre-tuned configuration package of speeds, temperatures, layer heights, and support rules optimized for a specific 3D model.
Print Time & Machine Hour Estimation
The total duration in hours and minutes required to print a 3D model, used to calculate machine operating and depreciation costs.
Purge Tower & Prime Pillar
A sacrificial printed pillar erected on the build plate to clean nozzle color residue and equalize extrusion pressure during multi-material tool changes.
Q
1 termR
2 termsResin 3D Printing / SLA / MSLA
Vat photopolymerization technology that cures liquid photopolymer resin with UV light to produce ultra-high detail parts.
Retraction Calibration
Slicer setting that pulls filament backward before non-printing travel moves to depressurize the melt zone and eliminate stringing and oozing.
S
5 terms3D Slicer Software
Software that converts 3D CAD meshes (.STL/.3MF) into 2D toolpaths and machine-executable G-code instructions.
SLS (Selective Laser Sintering)
An industrial powder-bed fusion 3D printing process that uses a CO₂ or fiber laser to fuse nylon powders into complex, support-free functional parts.
STL File Format
Standard Tessellation Language — the universal legacy 3D file format representing object surfaces as triangular facets.
Stringing & Retraction
Unwanted thin plastic strands left across open spaces when the nozzle moves, eliminated by tuning retraction settings.
Support Structures
Sacrificial scaffolding printed beneath steep overhangs and bridges to prevent molten plastic from sagging mid-air.
T
3 termsTemperature Tower (Temp Tower)
A multi-tiered calibration model printed with stepped nozzle temperatures to visually identify the ideal thermal balance between stringing, overhangs, and strength.
Tolerances & Clearances (Print-in-Place)
The engineered dimensional spacing and gap allowances required between adjacent interlocking parts to ensure functional snap-fits and moving assemblies.
TPU & Flexible Filaments
Thermoplastic Polyurethane — an elastic, rubber-like filament used for shock dampening, flexible hinges, gaskets, and protective cases.
U
1 termV
2 termsVase Mode (Spiralize Outer Contour)
A specialized slicer mode that prints hollow single-walled objects in one continuous upward spiral, eliminating layer seams entirely.
Voron Design CoreXY
An open-source community project designing high-speed, enclosed DIY CoreXY 3D printers (Voron 2.4, Trident, Switchwire, 0.2) powered by Klipper.
W
2 termsWall Thickness & Perimeter Shells
Slicer setting governing the count and width of solid concentric shells forming the exterior surface and mechanical backbone of a 3D print.
Warping & Thermal Contraction
The curling and lifting of print corners from the build plate caused by uneven cooling and thermal shrinkage in high-temp filaments.
X
1 termY
1 termZ
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