this post was submitted on 05 Jan 2026
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3DPrinting

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Hi all, I want to buy my son a 3D printer for his 20th birthday. He is a third year computer science major, so has no issues with the software side. I have no idea where to start, or even what questions to ask. Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

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[–] bishoponarope@lemmy.world 4 points 6 days ago

First and best info would be, what does your budget for the printer look like?

Does he have much space to keep it and it's peripherals?

Are you thinking an FDM printer that lays down many layers of hot material, or a resin printer that exposes liquid resin to a light source to set it in layers?

There are many good options at different price points, and I'm sure other people will know more than me but I hope this helps a little. Happy to provide more in-depth info.