3D printing is the cutting-edge next generation printing technology for all cadre of the next generation. It is t gaining critical relevance in all segments of education from the very early stages up to the tertiary levels as a practical means of transforming human creative powers into tangible items that can be interacted with physically and better appreciated. 3D printing has found application in almost every area of human endeavor from science, medicine, engineering and architecture to the food industries, fashion, humanities and especially in education.

Humans live in a 3D world and the human mind is designed to relate and function most effectively in a 3D world of matter….because reality is 3D! That is why a key point in the definition of matter is the capacity to occupy space….space is 3D. Any image short of the third dimension can only exist in the realm of the imagination, not reality. Humans interact with such images (printed on a medium) mentally at the level of their minds. The image will have to acquire a third dimension before people can interact with it physically and in reality. Three-dimensional imaging liberates images from its “entrapment” in the “media” and gives it the feel of reality by crafting it into tangible forms. This makes every detail about the image tangible maximizing the capacity of human engagement with it like it is done in the real world.

The application of 3D printers include the production of educational aids and specimens; industrial prototyping; fashion products; automobiles; aeronautics; and architecture to mention a few.