3D Printing: The Future of Design
3D printers are the future of design because they make it easier for designers to create new products. Designers can use CAD (computer-aided design) software to create their product onscreen before sending it off to be printed. This process usually takes three steps: designing an object on CAD software, slicing it into layers that will print out one at a time, and then printing the object with plastic filament. When you're done designing your product on screen, you upload the file to your printer's computer system where it can be downloaded as a .stl file—a standard format used by many 3D printers.