Want to get into 3D printing

A DECENT COMPUTER Even though software programs like Blender, Google SketchUp, TinkerCAD, and the like are free, they still utilize 3D graphics, for obvious reasons, and unless you have a decent processor and graphics card, you're going to get frustrated in a hurry.

Luckily, most of the programs now make it pretty easy to export a 3D design as a .obj or .stl file, which most printers will accept and print out.

ABOUT $1500 Yes, you can get DIY 3D printer kits for cheaper, but this seems to be about the baseline for printers that come pre-assembled and are accessible to the average person who didn't spend their entire childhood putting together Lego sets.

Read more