How we test
What a test means here, and how we label everything that is not one.
Two kinds of article
Explainers and how-to guides (most of what is here today) are built from established, widely documented 3D printing practice and cross-checked against manufacturer guidance. They do not claim we printed on a particular machine.
Reviews and tested comparisons will always say which unit we used, how we got it, and what we printed. If a unit was lent or gifted, the review says so at the top.
What a hands-on test covers
- Out-of-box setup time and anything that did not work first time.
- A fixed set of calibration prints: first layer, dimensional accuracy, overhangs and bridging, stringing and retraction.
- Real-use prints in more than one material.
- Measured power draw over a full print, so running costs are real numbers.
- Noise, reliability over a run of prints, and the support and warranty experience.
What we publish with each test
Photos of the actual prints, the settings used, the firmware version, and the date, so a reader can tell whether the result still applies.
Corrections
If we get something wrong we fix it and note the change on the page. Tell us via the contact page.