3D PRINT:Turn digital bits into physical atoms

3D printing starts with a blueprint, usually one created with a computer aided design (CAD) program running on a desktop computer. This is a virtual 3D model of an object. CAD programs are widely used today by designers, engineers, and architects to imagine physical objects before they are created in the real world.

The CAD design process replaces the need to design physical prototypes out of malleable material such as clay or styrofoam. A designer uses the CAD program to create the model, which is then saved as a file. Much as a word processer is superior to a typewriter because it allows a writer to add, delete, and edit text freely, a CAD program allows a designer to manipulate a design as she sees fit.

Alternatively, a 3D scanner can create a CAD design by scanning an existing object. Just as a flatbed scanner can create a digital file of a drawing on a piece of paper, a 3D scanner can create a digital file of a physical object.

No matter how it is created, once the CAD design exists it can be widely distributed just like any other computer file. One person can create a new object, email the design to his friend across the country, and the friend can print out an identical object.