I made some mistakes learning how to use the $300 Elegoo Centauri Carbon 3D printer, but it didn't take me long to make my first part.

There’s one that gives you a simple drawing program for making your 2D image, and then produces G-Code so that your 3D printer can extrude the drawing as a single plastic layer.

A printer is essentially a sophisticated plotting machine that moves to certain coordinates told to it by the slicer in the programming language G-code. That's why slicer software is so important.

Fast-forward a decade, and the world of 3D printing has evolved tremendously. Printers are faster, smarter, and more refined.