3D printing is a fantastic new technology that takes many forms. Knowledge of these technologies is imperative to help you choose the right one for your application. Desktop and commercial printers work very differently and each has its own benefits. Use each for its own advantages.

You must understand the limitations of the technology, and play to its strengths. You wouldn't use a 3D printer to mass manufacture full size cars (yet), just as it's not feasible to manufacture customized phone cases with traditional methods.

Learn about the specifications of your chosen printer/material. Design your model around those specs. SketchUp is a good general purpose modeling tool, but it's not the only one. Learn about other modeling programs, and use the one that best fits your needs.

In the next chapter, you'll learn how to set up SketchUp for 3D printing success.