3 things I'd never 3D print again (and what went wrong)

Published Nov 8, 2026, 10:00 AM EST Sydney Butler is a technology writer with over 20 years of experience as a freelance PC technician and system builder and over a decade as a professional writer. He's worked for more than a decade in user education. On How-To Geek, he writes commerce content, guides, opinions, and specializes in editing hardware and cutting edge technology articles. Sydney started working as a freelance computer technician around the age of 13, before which he was in charge of running the computer center for his school. (He also ran LAN gaming tournaments when the teachers weren't looking!) His interests include VR, PC, Mac, gaming, 3D printing, consumer electronics, the web, and privacy. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Research Psychology with a minor in media and technology studies. His masters dissertation examined the potential for social media to spread misinformation. Outside of How-To Geek, he hosted the Online Tech Tips YouTube Channel, and wrote for Online Tech Tips, Switching to Mac, and Helpdesk Geek. Sydney also wrote for Expert Reviews UK. He also has bylines at 9to5Mac, 9to5Google, 9to5Toys, Tom's Hardware, MakeTechEasier, and Laptop Mag. I started 3D printing around a decade ago through my job at the time, working in a technology research division of a local university. Back then, there was no way I could afford a printer of my own, but I was happy to learn the ropes of 3D printing on my employer's dime. Since then, I've somehow accumulated a small print farm in my house, and have literally thousands of hours of printing under my belt. Though I'd happily admit I'm very much still an amateur. A person who likes to tinker and try things, but not a serious maker. Even so, there are some things I've tried that you'd have to really convince me are worth having another go, because I never want to print any of this stuff again. Any supports that aren't tree-shaped I'm just a 3D-printing forest elf, I guess There are broadly two sorts of 3D prints. One type is the "print-in-place" style of model, which has been designed to print as-is, with no special support. The designer will ensure there are no overhangs or angles that require additional support materials. For everything else, your slicer will have to generate some sort of support so that it doesn't end up printing on thin air. 3D printing technology has become quite advanced, but antigravity still eludes it. If your model needs support, you have different options, and I just don't ever see a reason to use any other support type than the "tree" algorithm. This "grows" tree structures to support your model in key areas. It uses very little material, but most importantly, it's easy to remove tree supports without leaving marks on the model or damaging it. I have thrown away too many models where other traditional support patterns have either fused with the model, making it too much hassle to finish, or are just too darn difficult to get off. So for me, personally, if a model doesn't work with tree supports, I'm not interested in printing it. Glow-in-the-dark filament It's not cool enough to be worth it. I've already laid out why I hate working with glow-in-the-dark filament, but the TL;DR comes down to wear and tear. These filaments glow because they contain rough minerals, which will destroy brass nozzles in no time. In my experience, a 1KG roll of the stuff is enough to warrant a nozzle change. Now, brass nozzles are cheap, and changing nozzles isn't exactly rocket surgery. So, I'd put up with it if the juice was worth the squeeze. The thing is, models printed with this filament don't look great in the daylight, lacking definition due to its translucent nature. But at least it glows, right? Yes, it does, but you might be disappointed. You need to strike the right balance when it comes to how much infill to use. Too little infill and there isn't enough material to generate a decent glow. Too much material and not only are you paying more for your prints, but the light that charges the material can no longer reach deep enough to make it all glow. On top of that, I got frequent jams and other issues with this type of filament, so that's a "no thanks" from me. Vases and other things meant to hold water This idea was full of holes The basic planters you get at the local gardening centers are boring, and the nice ones are too expensive, so why not 3D print your own? That was our idea when my wife started getting back into gardening and wanted some nice planters to give saplings a head start. I found a few neat designs online, and even bought some PETG filament to help hold the moisture in, but it was to no avail. I wasn't expecting them to hold pure water, just wet soil. But the moisture leaked straight through the walls, and a leak test proved this for me. There are ways to make 3D prints more waterproof, and, of course, you can line the planter with plastic, but at that point, I'd already been to the store and back with boring, plain factory-made planters. But never say never! Yes, I know I actually did say it, but my frustrations are built around the limitations of 3D printing technology. For example, another thing I gave up on was printing tabletop miniatures so that I could paint them. FDM machines just can't get enough detail at a small scale. However, I've seen newer printers combined with special techniques by enthusiasts achieve better results than I have. So, if reasonable solutions to my frustrations come into existence, then I'll have no reason to maintain my stance. Until then, I'll just be hanging out over here in my comfort zone. That, and maybe it's time to start looking at a resin printer . . .