3D Printers: Which One Is Right for You?
A straightforward guide to the main types of 3D printers, what they do best, and how to choose your first machine.
The 3 Main Types of Consumer 3D Printers
Most people getting into 3D printing will choose from three categories: FDM, resin, or a combination of both. Each has real strengths and trade-offs. Here is what you need to know before spending any money.
FDM Printers
Fused Deposition Modeling
FDM is the most popular type for beginners and most home users. A spool of plastic filament is fed into a heated nozzle, melted, and deposited onto the print bed layer by layer.
Best for:
- Beginners and first-time printers
- Large prints and functional parts
- Deck boxes, mold frames, signs, and enclosures
- Budget-friendly projects
Trade-offs:
- Layer lines visible on surface
- Less fine detail than resin
- Requires calibration and occasional tuning
Price range: $150 to $1,200+
Resin Printers
MSLA / SLA / DLP
Resin printers use UV light to cure liquid photopolymer resin into solid layers. The detail quality is significantly higher than FDM, making them the go-to choice for miniatures, jewelry, and highly detailed collectibles.
Best for:
- Fine detail and smooth surfaces
- Miniatures, figurines, and scale models
- Jewelry and dental applications
- Experienced users comfortable with chemicals
Trade-offs:
- Requires ventilation and PPE during use
- Post-processing involves UV curing and washing
- Build volume smaller than most FDM printers
- Resin consumables cost more per volume
Price range: $150 to $800+
Multi-Material FDM
AMS / Multi-Filament Systems
A newer category gaining rapid popularity. Printers like the Bambu Lab X1C with AMS system can print with multiple filament colors or materials in a single job, enabling multi-color prints without manual filament swapping.
Best for:
- Multi-color prints and decorative models
- Prints with soluble support material
- Enthusiasts wanting premium output
- Makers scaling up productivity
Trade-offs:
- Higher upfront cost
- More complex setup and maintenance
- Waste material from filament purging between colors
Price range: $600 to $2,500+
Popular Printers Worth Knowing About
Bambu Lab P1S / X1C
Currently considered the best all-around FDM printers for enthusiasts. Fast, reliable, auto-calibrating, and multi-color capable with the AMS add-on. Bambu Studio is one of the most user-friendly slicers available.
Prusa MK4 / MINI+
The gold standard for reliability in FDM printing. Open-source, well-documented, and backed by an excellent community. Slightly slower than Bambu but incredibly dependable and well supported.
Creality Ender 3 Series
The most popular entry-level FDM printer ever made. Affordable, widely supported, and a great learning machine. The community around the Ender 3 is massive, so help is always easy to find.
Elegoo Mars / Saturn
The most popular resin printers for hobbyists. The Mars series is compact and beginner-accessible. The Saturn series offers a much larger build volume for bigger resin prints.
What Filament Should You Use?
For FDM printing, filament choice matters. Here is a quick guide to the most common types:
PLA – The best starting filament. Easy to print, no heated enclosure needed, biodegradable, and available in hundreds of colors. Great for most decorative and functional prints.
PETG – Stronger and more heat-resistant than PLA. Good for functional parts, storage containers, and anything that might see some stress. Slightly trickier to print than PLA.
ABS – Tough and heat-resistant but requires an enclosed printer and good ventilation. Popular for automotive and mechanical parts.
TPU – Flexible filament. Great for phone cases, gaskets, and anything that needs to bend without breaking.
Resin – Comes in standard, ABS-like, flexible, and water-washable varieties. Always use PPE and work in a ventilated space.
Got Your Printer? Get Some Models.
All OreKo models are tested on FDM printers. Download a file, load it in your slicer, and print.