Modern printers can have a huge number of features, but not all of them are equally important.
When choosing your first printer, pay particular attention to these features:
Automatic Bed Leveling
Automatic bed leveling helps the printer determine the position of the build plate and adjust for small differences across its surface.
This can make getting a good first layer much easier.
Automatic Calibration
Some modern printers can automatically calibrate different aspects of the printing process. This can reduce the amount of manual setup required.
Direct Drive Extruder
A direct-drive extruder places the filament-feeding mechanism close to the nozzle. This can be particularly useful when printing flexible materials such as TPU.
All-Metal Hotend
An all-metal hotend can allow a printer to operate at higher temperatures and support a wider range of materials.
Filament Runout Sensor
This detects when the printer runs out of filament and can pause the print instead of allowing it to continue without material.
Power-Loss Recovery
This allows some printers to resume a print after a power interruption.
Wi-Fi or Network Printing
Network connectivity can allow you to send prints to the printer without physically transferring files using a memory card or USB drive.
Camera and Print Monitoring
A built-in camera can allow you to monitor a print remotely. Some modern printers also use cameras and software to detect certain printing problems.
Heated Bed
A heated build plate helps improve first-layer adhesion and is particularly useful with many FDM materials.
Enclosure
An enclosure can provide a more controlled printing environment and is particularly useful for certain engineering materials.
Multi-Color or Multi-Material Printing
Some printers support systems that automatically switch between different filaments. These can be useful if you want to create multi-color models or use different materials in the same print.
