It has been an interesting experience for me to take a class on 3D printing when I can barely print on paper. At home, I haven’t had a printer for years and at school, printing has never been a pleasant experience due to the long lines, especially when papers are due in fifteen minutes. Despite being an organized person, I still get frustrated when looking for printed handouts from professors. Printing is neither immediate nor efficient, so what I am doing in a 3D printing class?

This is where semantics come into play. Printing in “printing a paper” has a completely different meaning than it does in “printing an object.” In the former case, printing pertains to text and images. Why bother printing texts and images on one page after another when even our phone screens can display an infinite number of different texts and images? Printing on paper without any form of digital integration is becoming plainly boring. Books are still great but one might think twice about collecting physical books when considering the possibility of moving and packing.

On the other hand, the word “printing” in the case of 3D printing barely does justice to this technology. Printing may be the correct technical term but it is too closely associated with books and newspapers to the point where 3D printing may appear ironic at first glance. I believe rapid prototyping and fabrication are some of the terms that capture the essence of 3D printing well.

What fascinates me about 3D printing most, however, is the open source nature of learning, designing, and producing. Platforms like Thingiverse and 3D Warehouse as well as the 3D scanning technology allow anyone to work off of already made 3D models. I hope that this sharing culture will revolutionize the conventional workplace where certain people take credits for certain projects. In the maker’s world, there will be more “we” and less “I,” more “us” and less “me.” With this attitude, the makers collective will create products tailored to human needs and by way solve social issues.