Engadget
I mean, you could just pay someone else to make that Batman mask for your cat.
The 3D printer craze at first surged more than a decade ago. Since that time, the industry has steadily grown in the background, but it hasn't stopped innovating and releasing new products at lower prices. As a matter of fact, 3D printers are affordable right now.
Entry-level devices hover in the $200 to $400 range, and mid-tier models cost around $750 to $1,500.
Well, it depends on your budget, expectations and desired use case scenarios. Let's go over some of the things modern printers are good at, along with some of the current pain points.
Many people use 3D printers to solve recurring problems. Some folks have even used 3D printers to whip up hand braces and other medical accessories.
When people think about 3D printers, the word "doodad" probably comes to mind. The sky is the limit here.
A 3D printer can help with that. As a general rule of thumb, resin printers are the best choice for small and detailed character figures.
Saving a buck or two on a doorstop isn't a large deal, but saving $100 on a replacement part for a camera is. The internet is filled with sites where people share designs for useful items, like Sketchfab, CGTrader and Free3D, among others.
3D printers have become the de facto way to quickly build prototype designs.
The underlying tech behind 3D printers is constantly iterating and improving, thanks to a community of manufacturers and users.