Intro to 3D Printing with Bambu Printers

The slicer software made by Bambu Lab. Used to import 3D models, adjust print settings, and generate G-code files that control the printer.

The process of ensuring the build plate is the correct and consistent distance from the nozzle across its entire surface. Bambu printers use automatic bed leveling before each print.

The flat surface where your print is built, one layer at a time. A clean, properly leveled build plate is essential for the first layer to stick correctly.

The process of making, reviewing, and improving a design multiple times until you are happy with the result. Most good designs go through several versions.

Saving your Tinkercad design as a file (STL or 3MF) that can be opened in other software like Bambu Studio.

The mechanism that grips and pushes filament through a drive gear into the hot nozzle. If the extruder slips or jams, filament stops feeding and the print fails.

The most common type of 3D printing. Plastic filament is melted and deposited layer by layer to build an object. Bambu printers use FDM.

The plastic material used by an FDM 3D printer. It comes on spools as a thin wire (typically 1.75 mm diameter). Common types include PLA and PETG.

The machine language created by a slicer. It contains precise instructions for the printer — where to move, how fast, when to heat the nozzle, and when to extrude filament.

Combining two or more Tinkercad shapes into one object. Grouping a "hole" shape with a solid shape cuts the hole's volume out of the solid.

In Tinkercad, a "hole" is a transparent shape used as a cutter. When grouped with a solid shape, it removes its volume from the solid — used to create openings, slots, and keyring holes.

The internal structure that fills the inside of a print. Expressed as a percentage (e.g., 15% = mostly hollow, 100% = completely solid). Higher infill means a stronger, heavier, more material-intensive print.

The small hole at the top of a keychain that a ring or clip passes through. In Tinkercad, created by subtracting a cylinder hole from the keychain body before exporting.

How thick each individual printed layer is, typically measured in millimeters (e.g., 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm). Thinner layers produce more detailed prints but take longer; thicker layers are faster but less detailed.

How many shapes, fine details, and thin elements a logo has. Simple logos with bold shapes print much better at keychain scale than complex logos with thin lines, small text, or overlapping elements.

The small metal tip at the end of the hot end. It heats filament to a liquid state and deposits it layer by layer on the build plate during printing.

Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol — a filament material that is tougher and more heat-resistant than PLA. Chosen when durability matters more than ease of printing.

The most common beginner filament. It is easy to print with, comes in many colors, and works well for most school projects. Made from plant-based materials.

Making sure the removable build plate is correctly seated and lying flat before printing starts. A misaligned plate can cause prints to fail or detach mid-print.

A set of settings in Bambu Studio that matches the specific Bambu printer model you are using (A1, P1S, X1C, etc.). Choosing the correct profile ensures the slicer generates the right instructions for that machine.

A feature in Bambu Studio that shows you the print layer-by-layer before you send it to the printer. Use it to spot missing supports, unexpected gaps, or errors before wasting filament.

An image made of pixels (like a photo, PNG, or JPG). Raster images lose quality when enlarged. Must be converted to SVG before importing into Tinkercad.

The outer outline of a shape or logo when viewed as a solid black form. A strong, recognizable silhouette usually means a design will print clearly.

Software (such as Bambu Studio) that converts a 3D model into G-code by dividing the model into horizontal layers and calculating the printer's movement path.

The process of using slicer software to convert a 3D model into layer-by-layer G-code instructions the printer can execute.

One of the most common 3D printing file formats. Stores only the geometry (shape) of a model as a mesh of triangles. Does not include color, materials, or print settings.

Temporary scaffolding structures that the slicer adds beneath overhanging parts of a model to prevent drooping during printing. Removed after the print is complete.

A file format that stores images as mathematical paths and shapes rather than pixels. SVG files can be scaled to any size without losing quality and can be imported into Tinkercad to create 3D shapes.

An image stored as mathematical curves and lines rather than pixels. Vector images can be scaled infinitely without becoming blurry. SVG is a vector format.

The flat surface in Tinkercad where you place and build your 3D designs. All shapes are positioned relative to the workplane.