Here's how you can expand your skills in 3D Printing without formal education.

I believe online video tutorials are the most effective method for learning CAD software for 3D printing. These tutorials offer a structured framework for understanding the necessary steps for your projects. Observing the process of manipulating base geometry to achieve the desired shapes is crucial for developing design thinking. Soon you'll be making your own tutorials!

Start with simple projects and gradually move to complex designs. Participate in online challenges or competitions to push your skills and creativity.

If you want to learn the skill of 3D printing, it's best to start with something simple and work your way up to the more complex projects. I started with 3D designing some simple basic shapes and objects for my desk, having my caliper always close by. Then using slicing software to see if I can orientate it the best way possible, nowadays there are plugins available that indicate the best orientation based on the reduction of support structures for example. As a user you can learn from these orientation suggestions and take it into consideration the next time you slice. For more material knowledge I advise printing different test parts and see how it behaves under load, explore topics as stiffness,toughness,ductility and elongation to begin

The beauty of 3D printing lies in its open-source technology. TinkerCAD from Autodesk is great way to start, since it's user-friendly and easy to understand and grasp, combined by the YouTube world, where you'll find hundreds of courses teaching how to use it. Aside from FreeCAD, and Blender, Fusion 360 is the go-to if you're already a designer and has basic knowledge and design fundamentals. Learning these programs will save u TONS of money, since this particular service is relatively expensive compared to the other 3d printing process elements. Also learning to 3d model will help you understand your needs from the 3d printing process, and also save you time by understaning on a design basis, whether this project is applicable or not.

Definitely true, practice makes perfect, also for 3D printing. Try as many different applications as possible in as many different materials as possible and try to understand why it works, or why it does not work. This gives the user great insights in their learning journey. There are many easy and accessible 3D printing technologies available for beginners to step into, like FDM or SLA.

There are various books available for 3D printing enthusiasts and people wanting to learn more about 3D printing. Think about: - The 3D printing handbook - 3D Printing for Dummies - Printing Polymers: An Introduction to Polymer Science for 3D Printers, Students and STEM Educators But also have a look on online platforms as youtube, which provide endless videos about various topics related with 3D printing. Or browse through 3D printing pages on LinkedIn and make sure to follow 3D printer manufacturers for the latest trends and developments.