Basic printers offer the ability to obtain a hard copy on paper of anything displayed on your screen, and can be categorised into two areas - impact (dot-matrix) and non-impact (inkjet, laser). 3D printers have become more popular recently, and they enable you to print complex 3D shapes from plans. For example, you can now 3D print models, prototypes and parts, and with the cost coming down, hobby 3D printing is becoming a bigger industry.
