New Matter’s MOD-t is one of our favorite simple and affordable 3D printers. It is the ideal first 3D printer for beginners due to its accessibility and ease of use. Its clear, enclosed design is perfect because it’s safe, quiet, and they can see the process of the print. Perhaps most importantly, it’s also relatively small and easy to pick up, creating a portability aspect that most 3D printers lack. Don’t let its sleek design fool you, though. The MOD-t 3D printer is completely user-friendly with only one button to press. It also prints with eco-friendly PLA filament and is Wi-Fi-enabled, so kids can print from any device that’s connected to the Internet.
The New Matter team has an online library with hundreds of downloadable designs or students can upload their own. They only need to be plugged into a computer (Mac or Windows) for the initial download, otherwise they can print from any browser, on any device, as long as they’re connected to the Internet. The software installation is also very basic and they provide easy-to-follow instructions. Once the software was installed, I went through the nine simple steps for assembling my printer.
Each step was accompanied by a short video that clearly demonstrated what to do. The packaging itself was clearly labeled, as well, with parts identified as A, B, C and D for simple unboxing. Everything is pre-built, so just set up the build plate and print surface plate and load the filament. The 3D printer always needs to be connected to power (a basic wall outlet) to function, so I found one right behind me and gave it power.
Once I had filament loaded, I chose a design from the New Matter library—the New Matter logo as a keychain. I was super excited to see how it would turn out! All I had to do was download the design and press the print button on the printer. It really was that easy. Since it was a small print, it didn’t take long at all. One setback is that the printer doesn’t display an estimate for how long the print is going to take, so I had to make sure I had enough filament inserted before I started printing.
It didn't take long, however, and the lack of a time estimate is worth the tradeoff of simplicity and affordability. The value and these factors I just mentioned for the extremely low price of $299 are incredibly hard to match. To purchase a 3D printer for your classroom, visit the Eduporium store. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more and you might as well like us on Facebook, too!