How to Choose the Best 3D Printer for Your Business: A Complete Beginner’s Guide

November 29, 2020

When starting a 3D printing business a large decision is the 3D printer itself. This purchase will be closely decided by the types of designs you are making and the intended function for it. Do you need a resin printer or a dilament one? Which printer should I choose? Let RaveRobot help you with our multi-part guide on making money with 3D printing.

What Printer Do You Need?

The first thing you need to think about when purchasing a 3D printer is what types of items do you want to print. If your new online 3D printing business is focusing on small highly detailed figurines for tabletop gaming you would likely want a different printer than if you were intending to create kayak mounts for your garage or vehicle.

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) printers use a plastic filament (the materials vary and we’ll talk about them below) which the printer melts and then deposits in layers building up the form. FDM printing always has layer lines where the filament was added that will be noticeable on the final product without additional post processing (sanding, filling, painting). FDM printers generally have larger print volumes than resin based printers and are an ideal choice for large or functional items.

Stereolithography (SLA) and Digital Light Processing (DLP)

Stereolithography (SLA) and Digital Light Processing (DLP) printers use a UV light source to cure photoreactive resin in layers to build up your model. As with FDM there will be layer lines but resin based printers are capable of much finer details which on lower layer heights can make them extremely difficult to see making them ideal for small detailed figurines. Resin printers always required post processing to clean off uncured resin and then the final print must be again exposed to UV light in order to perform a final cure and set the resin.

FDM or Resin?

Once you know the type of printer (or printers if you plan to offer a range of products) you will need to decide on a budget. In general FDM printers are cheaper than SLA/DLP printers though there are always exceptions to the rules. The level of support you expect from the manufacturer will also be important in your decision.

In the world of FDM Prusa Research has developed an open source printer known as the i3 which as become the template for the majority of inexpensive printers on the market. Sizes and features vary by price but in general the pricing for these printers ranges from $150-$2000. Most i3 based printers will come as a kit that requires assembly though some can be purchased assembled.

SLA/DLP printers require little to no assembly as these are not kit based. These printers have very little calibration, with the majority of it being to level the build plate and dial in the exposure settings for your resin of choice. Most DLP printers have very similar build volumes as the initial design of these printers were based of smartphone screens though the newer models using monochromatic screens vary more in size and shape.

SLA printers tend to have larger build volumes but at a higher cost as they use a UV laser instead of an LCD screen. For both SLA and DLP you will need some additional hardware in the form of washing and curing setups. You can build your own for a fraction of the cost of purchasing directly from manufacturers.

DLP printers can be purchased between $200 – $4000 with the increase in price usually related to an increase in the screen resolution or size and monochromatic screens tending to be more expensive. SLA printers tend to be in the $2000 – $5000 price range with the most consumer friendly facing brand being Formlabs.

Speaking of consumer facing brands as I mentioned above the amount of support you expect from the vendor will be important. For the most part there are two main divisions, consumer facing brands and industrial facing brands, with a small number that target both demographics. Creality who makes the excellent Ender 3 FDM printer target the consumer market whereas Stratasys targets industrial manufacturing.

The difference in price is stark with an Ender 3 costing under $200 and a stratasys printer costing close to $10,000. Creality while a great brand will not provide the level of support that Stratasys will in calibration and maintenance but there is a stark difference in price for that service. Brands such as Prusa and Formlabs sit in between these poles where they target both demographics with support and pricing in the middle as well.

For the most part industrial printers also require branded materials which come with significant markup

If you are well versed in 3D printing knowledge then you may have noticed we did not discuss in depth Selective Laser Sintering or Polyjet printers. These devices tend to cost multiple 10s of thousands of dollars and use proprietary expensive materials. For someone starting out on their journey to creating a 3D printing business these are simply out of the realm of possibility and therefore are not a focus for this article.

Having worked professionally with a Stratasys Objet polyjet printer I can say they are amazing devices and something if your business really takes off might end up being something worth investigating down the road.

Additional Supplies for Your Printers

When selecting the printer for your business you’ll need to know your must have features as well. Do you have a preferred filament diameter that you absolutely need based on already available materials? Do you require automatic bed leveling on your FDM printer either with a built in probe or an aftermarket add-on such as the BLTouch probe? If you plan to set up a print farm then you may require the ability to configure them all to be controlled and monitored remotely using either native software or the popular open source octoprint?

Your build surface is an important choice with cheap options such as build tak or glass and then more expensive magnetic spring steel build surfaces. What peripherals do you need to go with your printer? A dry storage chamber for storing your many spools of filament? A filament dehydrator to dry out the ones you forgot to store correctly? Washing and curing stations for cleaning up for resin prints?

What Computer Do You Need?

The first important step in the 3d modeling business is the type of computer you use. You need a strong computer to support your 3D modeling and slicing programs. The computer needs to have these requirements:

A robust GPU and CPU: a quad core 64bit processor will be a minimum and discrete video instead of onboard a strong preference
Strong storage space: 3D designs will take up a lot of space and you’ll likely have multiple iterations for any single design. If sculpting you will also likely be designing at high resolution as it is far easier to shrink the object down than take a low res one and blow it up.
Robust storage: consider multiple redundant hard drives in a RAID configuration or a cloud backup. You don’t want to lose all your work to a PC failure
Enough memory: For most CAD and sculpting software you really should be thinking 16GB of RAM as a bare minimum.

What Materials To Print Your Design In?

Filament Types and Options

There are many different types of filament all with unique properties and their list of pros and cons. The most popular materials for FDM printing are usually PLA or PETG as these are easy to print and often do not require any special modifications to the printer. TPU, ABS, and Nylon are also popular materials and suited for specific use cases but come with some trade offs.

PLA is usually cheaper, easier to print, comes in a range of colors, and is considered safe to print indoors. It is very stiff and prints at a lower temperature which makes it great for models that do not need to bear a load or exist in an environment with high heat. PLA is a poor choice for prints which would possibly be left in a car or exposed to high ambient temperatures and it is biodegradable with industrial composting which is great for the environment but not so well for your outdoor prints.

PETG is PLA’s slightly more robust but trickier cousin. PETG prints at a higher temperature than PLA and therefore is far better at resisting higher temperature environments. The majority of printed parts on the Prusa i3 for example are made from PETG and hold up well. PETG is not as stiff as PLA so it has a bit of give under stress which may or may not be a property you are looking for.

PETG is available in many colors though it is more often found translucent and not opaque and the color options will likely not be as varied as PLA. It is important to understand that PETG is very sticky and prone to sticking to your nozzle when printing so the nozzle distance from the bed needs to be perfect and certain build surfaces like glass must be treated prior to printing or else the plastic can irreversibly fuse with the surface.

TPU is a flexible material which comes in many different hardnesses with the more flexible ones being very difficult to print without some modifications to some printers. For the most part it prints around the same temperatures as PETG and does better in a printer with a direct drive setup. TPU is very interesting in designs which require flexibility such as a phone case or a watch band.

Higher temperature materials such as ABS, ASA, and Nylon are similar and high temperature materials that are very strong and heat resistant. Printing these materials releases fairly bad fumes and is not suggested without ventilation. In addition the high print temperature causes the materials to be prone to warping and splitting if they are not printed with a high ambient temperature, usually requiring the printer to be in an enclosed and temperature regulated enclosure.

In addition to these base materials you can often find them with different additives. Wood filament is usually PLA with a percentage of sawdust in it making it easier to sand and giving it the ability to absorb wood stains. Metallic filaments are often PLA with a metal powder added which allows them to be shined up to appear similar to the metal.

Carbon fiber filaments come in a variety of materials and have small carbon fibers reinforcing them to increase the strength. Filaments containing glitter, temperature or UV color changing dyes, and glow in the dark colorings are also commonly found.

Resin Types and Options

Resins by comparison to filaments may seem a bit mundane at first glance with the big difference being color choices. The standard photopolymer resin isn’t going to vary much from manufacturers but that is just a starting point. There are flexible and semi-flexible resins such as those made by Siraya and Formlabs which can be used when those properties are required.

There are high temperature resins capable of resisting extremely high heat. Eco or plant based resins are in theory safer to work with and less toxic to the environment. Water washable resins are dissolvable without isopropyl alcohol or other detergents. Fast resins allow for shorter layer times while longer sculpting resins hold fine details better.

The type of resin or filament you select and the product you are making may require post processing as well. For resin you will always need to clean and cure the print. Removing supports for many designs is required (especially in resin) which needs some clean up with sandpaper or a file. If the layer lines are a problem in your final product then time might be spent sanding with low to high grit sandpapers and filling with a material such as glazing putty or filler primer to hide them.

Post processing takes a lot of time but you can be left with a final product that is almost indistinguishable from one that was injection molded. If you are trying to make and sell full suits of armor based on your favorite superhero you’ll need to decide if you would buy the product if it was unfinished. Is it more or less cost effective for you to do the work yourself or ask your customer to do it. This will likely be a decision made for each individual product based on how acceptable visual indicators of its 3D printed origin will be.

Which Printer Is Recommended?

FDM – For the entry level hobbyist who is willing to tinker a bit

RaveRobot Recommends the Creality Ender 3 or Prusa i3 mk3s

These printers are relatively inexpensive, easy to modify and upgrade, have a decent print volume, and have a great user community for support. You can easily set up multiple printers creating a fairly low cost print farm.

FDM – For a larger format printer

RaveRobot Recommends the Creality CR10s

This printer is one of the few with a large print volume (300mm x 300mm x 400mm) that isn’t going to break the bank. It is very similar to the Ender series and we suggest this over it only if your need is a very large print volume.

FDM – Price isn’t an concern I want the best quality and dual extruders

RaveRobot Recommends the Raise 3D Pro2

This printer is for those who want a reliable industrial grade workhorse and are willing to pay top dollar for it.

DLP – Easy to use, inexpensive, small build volume isn’t a concern

RaveRobot Recommends the Anycubic Photon or Elegoo Mars Pro

These resin printers are great and inexpensive with a huge community for support. They have a moderate build volume but they do not have 4K screen resolution or a monochromatic screen which means print quality and printing time compared to 4k monochromatic screen printers.

DLP – Must have a monochromatic screen but build volume isn’t a concern

RaveRobot Recommends the Phrozen Sonic Mini or Phrozen Sonic Mini 4k

The Phrozen Sonic Mini series are exceptional resin printers with great printing quality and monochromatic screens. The only downside is the very small build volume so if you are aiming to print single small models these printers are what you are looking for.

DLP – I need a large build volume

RaveRobot Recommends Peopoly Moai

This giant resin printer is one of the best in its class if you need the print quality of resin printers but the large build volume of an FDM printer.

SLA – I need access to a well calibrated series of functional resins in a medium to large build size

RaveRobot Recommends Formlabs Form 3, Form 3L

Formlabs printer offerings are high quality, well supported, with an exceptional catalog of resins all dialed in for the printer. Using a UV laser instead of an LCD screen and UV lamp they are capable of amazing resolution though the print time may be increased compared to DLP printers. The only downside of these printers is that Formlabs printers are a walled garden requiring you to use only their slicer and materials. It is a very well curated garden though with options for almost any need.

What’s Next?

Now that you have your designs and printers the next step is creating your business. Please see our Complete Beginners Guide on How to Start a Small Business Selling Your 3D Printed Products and Files. We will help guide you step-by-step in setting up a business. It will also provide you some information on how to protect your creation from being pirated.