I've seen a lot of 3D printing guides that do a great job covering the technical basics. One common assumption they tend to make is assuming that the person reading it is actually SERIOUS about 3D printing. Allow me to challenge that assumption here. When I talk to people I know one on one about 3D printing, I can tell many of them have some basic curiousity about it, but that doesn't mean they have an immediate interest in actually buying a printer and getting started. I still like talking to them about what I've seen, and hopefully they enjoy learning a little more about the technology and ways it can be used. (And every now and then, I get to watch a turnaround moment, where something clicks in their head, and they realize the potential that 3D printing really has.)
I am writing this as a very high level, casual introduction to the main concepts of 3D printing. I want it to be interesting for anyone, regardless of their technical skill level or experience. I intentionally want to make this more like a friendly conversation than a lecture, so a lot of this will come from my personal experience. It won't cover every possible angle, but hopefully that keeps it relatable for people who don't want to hear a stream of statistics or technical data.
3D printing is based on some simple principles, but honestly it involves a lot of technical details. I've focused on the most foundational ideas, so some details or exceptional cases might get smoothed over just to make it easier for inexperienced readers to see the big picture. So for any long-time printers reading this guide, please don't judge the technical accuracy of these articles too harshly...if you see a statement that's only 95% true, consider whether clarifying that last 5% would actually be helpful or confusing to someone who is learning about 3D printing for the first time.
If you have constructive comments or questions about what I've written, or if something here piques your interest and you'd like some help finding more detailed guides on a particular area, please use the contact form to send me a message!