3D printers: Not for the average consumer - Network World: One reason 3D printing will struggle to gain traction in consumer markets is the education needed to use the devices. Users will need to be proficient in CAD or 3D design software if they are to design an item for a 3D printer. And even once a user has learned how to use the software, the intricacies of 3D printing will be difficult to master for beginners, Basiliere says.
"Once you have that, now you still have to print it out, and depending upon the consumer's skill set, it could be a very difficult process of trial-and-error getting the printer to produce the part that they envisioned," he says. "Not that the printer is incapable, but there may be need for support structures and other elements in the design that, if the consumer isn't proficient with the software, it leads to a bad print."
