If you’ve ever looked at a 3D printer and thought, “That looks brilliant… but I wouldn’t have a clue where to start,” you’re definitely not alone.
One of the reasons we started offering 3D printing lessons at Gift & Receive was because there’s a big difference between watching a printer on TikTok and actually sitting down, learning how it works and creating something yourself.
So what actually happens when you book a 3D printing lesson with us?
You Don’t Need Any Experience
First things first: you don’t need to know anything about 3D printing before you arrive.
Our beginner sessions are designed for complete beginners, whether you’re thinking about buying your first printer, you’ve recently bought one and don’t know where to begin, or you simply want to have a go.
We keep everything practical and easy to understand. You won’t spend an hour listening to complicated technical explanations!
Starting With the Printer
During a beginner lesson, we’ll introduce you to the 3D printer and explain the important parts of the machine.
We’ll look at things such as:
- How a 3D printer actually creates an object
- The main parts of the printer
- Filament and how it’s loaded
- Basic printer safety
- What you should check before starting a print
- Some of the common problems beginners run into
Being able to see everything happening on a real printer makes it much easier to understand than simply reading about it online.
From a File to a Real 3D Print
Finding or creating a 3D model is only the beginning.
Before a printer can actually make it, the model needs to go through slicing software.
During the lesson, we’ll show you what slicing is and take you through some of the basic settings you need to understand.
You don’t need to become an expert in every setting. The aim is to give you enough knowledge and confidence to understand what’s happening when you prepare your own prints.
Then It’s Your Turn
We don’t want our lessons to just be us demonstrating everything.
You’ll actually get involved.
During our Level 1 beginner session, you’ll prepare a two-colour personalised name keyring, choosing your own name and font before getting it ready for printing.
That means you don’t just leave having watched a 3D printer.
You leave having actually made something.
What About Designing Your Own Models?
Once you’ve got the basics, there’s much more you can learn.
Our next stages introduce 3D design using Tinkercad, where you can begin creating your own models rather than simply downloading existing files.
This is where 3D printing gets really interesting.
An idea on a computer screen can become something you can actually hold in your hand.
One-to-One 3D Printing Lessons
Our beginner lesson is a one-to-one session, which means we can work at your pace.
There’s no pressure to keep up with a group and plenty of opportunity to stop and ask questions.
A beginner session lasts approximately one hour and costs £40.
Whether you’re an adult wanting to learn a new skill or a young person interested in 3D printing and design, the session can be adapted to suit your level of experience.
What About Groups and Birthday Parties?
We’ve also expanded what we can offer for groups.
Thanks to our classroom setup, we can now run 3D printing sessions and birthday parties for between 2 and 10 children.
Group and party sessions cost £30 per child and last approximately 1 to 1½ hours.
Rather than having children simply watching a printer work, we want them involved in the process.
They can learn some of the basics of 3D printing, use the computers, see how designs are prepared and create something to remember the session by.
It’s something a little different from the usual birthday party — and they learn a new skill at the same time.
More Than Just Watching a Machine Print
For us, 3D printing lessons aren’t really about teaching someone which buttons to press.
They’re about showing people what’s possible.
3D printing combines technology, creativity, problem solving and design, and there’s something pretty special about watching someone’s first design turn into a real object.
If you’ve been curious about 3D printing but haven’t known where to begin, a lesson is a chance to sit down with a real machine, ask as many questions as you like and actually have a go.
Want to Have a Go?
Our 3D printing lessons, group sessions and parties are available through Gift & Receive.
Whether you want to learn the basics yourself, help your child explore 3D design, or organise a completely different kind of birthday party, we’d love to introduce you to the world of 3D printing.
Come in curious. Leave with something you’ve made yourself.