If you've heard the hype around 3D printing, you may think that we're in for a new boom in high-tech manufacturing, or that Star Trek-style replicators are on their way to becoming real any day now.

3D printing is really friggin’ cool, but promises that we’d all have one in our homes by now have turned out to be less than true. Fortunately, you don’t need one of your own to bring your imaginary ...

How do you 3D-print without a 3D printer? If you don't own a 3D printer, you can still 3D print any 3D model you found through a database or designed through a software tool.

You listened as futurists talked about 3D printers in every home. You watched as companies like Dremel and 3D Systems unveiled machines that promised to manufacture screwdrivers and toy cars right ...

So, you got a 3D printer for the holidays, and you’re excited to dive in. Chances are, you’re not sure where to begin. What can you print? What’s fun? What’s useful?

Beyond the ever-dropping cost of 3D printers themselves, one of the biggest perceived barriers of entry to 3D printing is the supposed difficulty of the design process. And, make no mistake: if you're ...