3D Printing Glossary of Terms

Glossary

Over 200 3D printing terms with precise definitions.

Extruding material between two points without support underneath.

A flat ring attached to the edges of the first layer to improve adhesion and prevent warping.

The mechanism that pushes filament into the hotend.

Fused Deposition Modeling. Extrudes melted plastic layer by layer.

The language that tells the 3D printer how to move, what temperature to use, and how much material to extrude.

The heated part of the printer that melts the filament.

The internal structure of a 3D printed part. Usually a pattern like grid or honeycomb to save material while maintaining strength.

Faces of a 3D model that extend outward, partially or completely unsupported by the layers below.

The outer walls of the 3D printed object.

A thick, flat grid printed underneath the part to ensure adhesion and compensate for uneven beds.

A line printed around but not touching the object, used to prime the extruder and check bed leveling.

Stereolithography. Uses a laser to cure liquid resin.

Software that converts a 3D model (like an STL file) into G-Code instructions for the printer.

Sacrificial material printed to hold up overhangs and bridges, removed after the print is finished.

The distance between the nozzle and the print bed at the starting Z position.

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