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" For the past few weeks, the Engineering Lab at the Good Housekeeping Research Institute has been busy whipping up creations on our Solidoodle 3D printer. We&amp;#039;ve made glasses, jewelry, toys, and more. There&amp;#039;s a lot of hype around 3D printers these days, especially since the price of the machines is decreasing as the material and technology becomes more readily available. With machines starting at around $400, you can buy a consumer desktop version, and start tinkering. 3D printers work by heating the printing material, and then extruding it onto a platform, adding layer by layer until the design is done. Pricey models can print larger items, work faster, and can print using materials like metal, makeup, and even food! But the basic consumer models typically print plastic items that are just a few inches in size. Watch our &amp;quot;superhero&amp;quot; printer in action here:         Some printers put words on paper, others create superheroes. We&amp;amp;#39;re lucky to have the latter in our Research Institute. #3Dprinting A video posted by Good Housekeeping (@goodhousekeeping) on May 12, 2014 at 1:25pm PDT     The expansive capabilities of 3D printing are impressive (think edible pizza and prosthetic limbs), and it&amp;#039;s exhilarating to think we&amp;#039;re at the onset of an artisanal movement! However, most DIY consumer use is currently limited to basic items like jewelry, accessories, and other tchotchkes. If you&amp;#039;re getting started, Makerbot offers thousands of free downloads on its Thingiverse. Then, as you familiarize yourself with the machine, you design your own items (SketchUp and AutoDesk offer free software). There&amp;#039;s so much you can print, from the practical to the wacky, and everything in between, depending upon your level of expertise and the capabilities of your machine. Not ready to buy a 3D printer? You can still get in on the craze by purchasing 3D-printed items from companies like Shapeways or Sculpteo. RELATED: Soon You&amp;#039;ll Be Able to &amp;quot;Print&amp;quot; Your Own Makeup \u00BB Rachel Rothman is the technical director of the Good Housekeeping Research Institute, overseeing testing in the Institute&amp;#039;s six labs. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/institute/a24027/3d-printing/>