Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

Hypothetically... can't you just print a 2D document directly on a 3D printer?



3D printers don't have anywhere near the resolution of 2D printers. Take something like a $300 Epson photo printer [1]. It has 5760 x 1440 dpi with 6 colours!

[1] https://epson.ca/For-Home/Printers/Photo/Expression-Photo-XP...


A Creality Ender 3 Pro, a common budget 3D printer, has an accuracy of 0.1mm. That's an equivalent of about 254 DPI.

Of course, that's just the positioning. If you're 2D printing on a 3D printer by mounting a pen to the end, you're also limited by the thickness of the pen tip.

In any case, you could certainly draw text, but you'd only want to use a font that relies on thin lines, nothing thick. Filled in spaces would be difficult, and of course, photos are just completely out of the question.

As mentioned in a sibling comment, really you'd have just reinvented plotters which have existed for decades.


Yeah, people have put pens on the printhead to make them into a plotter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10zg0aL0Y5M


Yes but it is expensive and slow, rarely big enough for A4 (or Letter) and would be plastic. Additionally it would be maybe up to 4 colours. Not as in CYMK but as in 4 colours total no mixing.

Unless you do a lithographic print but they need a light source to be seen.

Also you can print pixels. You convert to G code so it is made up of lines.




Consider applying for YC's Summer 2025 batch! Applications are open till May 13

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: