While melting any type of plastic releases volatile organic compounds and other particulates into the air, the CDC considers PLA to be a safer option (PDF). Printers should also be able to print in polylactic acid, or PLA, plastic. A quiet printer is much easier to live with.

Although some printers are marginally faster than others, large prints can take days and even small prints take hours. Ideally, it isn’t too big or heavy, and it should be relatively quiet so you can’t hear it from every corner of the house. Suited to everyday life: The machine should look at home sitting on a desk.Proprietary filament is generally more expensive, and if the company that makes it goes out of business, you’ll be unable to use your printer. Compatibility with any brand of filament: Some companies embed chips in the spools of plastic that feed into their 3D printers, requiring you to buy refills directly from the printer manufacturer.A heated bed that goes up to 300 degrees Celsius allows you to print the most common filaments, including PLA, ABS, PETG, TPU, nylon, and polycarbonate filaments. Heated bed: Heated beds prevent prints from warping, help models stick to the print bed, and allow you to print using a wider range of materials.As a result, beginners need only a print bed that’s large enough to print models about the size of a small tissue box. Large-enough print volume: It would be nice to have the ability to print objects as large as you want, but the reality is that most models found in libraries such as Thingiverse are designed for small 3D-printer beds, with workarounds for combining several printed pieces to create a larger object.Our picks from Bambu Lab use their own slicer, called Bambu Studio, but are broadly compatible.

It’s a big plus if a printer has a preconfigured profile in PrusaSlicer or UltiMaker Cura, our favorite slicing software. The software should come preloaded with print settings but provide options for more experienced users to fine-tune. Intuitive software: Beginners should be able to jump right into using a printer’s software, including making adjustments to models before printing.A design that requires you to keep a computer tethered to the printer at all times via USB is a serious flaw but not necessarily a dealbreaker. Loading files onto an SD card that you plug into the printer is also okay. Ample connectivity options: Ideally, you should be able to start a print over Wi-Fi or transfer the file over a USB cable.The bed should also level itself or be simple to level manually, since a sloping print bed can cause printing errors. Easy-to-use hardware: Even a complete beginner should be able to put the printer together, load filament, start a print, and remove the finished model from the print bed.High-quality prints: Without too much tweaking, the printer should put out smooth-looking models with layers that are 0.1 mm thick at most and barely visible.

Free newborn baby 3d model obj