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The world of 3D printing comes with its own vocabulary, and it can feel overwhelming when you’re just getting started. If you’ve ever unboxed a printer and immediately run into terms like CoreXY, AMS, or G-code, you’re not alone.
The good news is that once you understand the language, you’ll feel more confident choosing settings, fixing problems, and getting better results faster.
This beginner-friendly glossary explains the most important 3D printing terms using real examples from Bambu Lab’s A1, P1S, and X1 series—so everything makes sense the moment you start printing.
Your printer’s hardware is the foundation of every successful print. When you understand these parts, you’ll know what’s happening inside the machine and what to check if something goes wrong.
The extruder is the system that grabs filament and pushes it into the hotend. Bambu Lab printers use a direct drive extruder, meaning the motor sits close to the hotend instead of pushing filament through a long tube.
This helps you because:
You get more precise filament control
Flexible filaments like TPU are easier to print
Retraction and feeding are more consistent
The hotend is the heated component that melts solid filament into printable material. Bambu Lab hotends can reach high temperatures, which gives you access to more filament types beyond PLA.
When your hotend temperature is stable, you’ll get:
Smoother extrusion
Better layer bonding
More reliable results on long prints
The build plate is where your print sticks during the job. Many Bambu Lab printers use PEI-coated spring steel sheets, which offer strong adhesion and easy print removal.
A quick win for you:
Let the plate cool before removing your print
Flex the plate slightly and the print usually pops off cleanly
CoreXY is a motion system used in the Bambu Lab P1S and X1 series. It keeps motors mounted on the frame instead of the moving printhead, reducing moving weight and allowing fast movement without losing accuracy.
CoreXY helps you print:
Faster
Cleaner corners
More stable at high speed
The AMS is Bambu Lab’s Automatic Material System that can hold up to four spools at once. It enables multi-color printing and material switching without manual swapping.
With AMS, you can:
Print multi-color models
Use different support materials
Swap to a backup spool mid-print
The nozzle is where melted filament exits the printer. Most Bambu Lab printers use a 0.4mm nozzle by default, but different nozzle sizes change detail and speed.
Use this simple nozzle guide:
0.2mm = higher detail, slower prints
0.4mm = best all-around option
0.6–0.8mm = faster printing for larger objects
Your printer hardware is only half the process. The software is what turns a digital model into something your printer can actually build.
Bambu Studio is Bambu Lab’s slicing software designed specifically for its printers. It includes profiles for different materials and print goals, so you don’t have to guess settings as a beginner.
You’ll love it because it:
Reduces trial and error
Speeds up setup
Gives you strong defaults that work
A slicer is the program that converts a 3D model into printable layers. It creates the path your printer follows and controls settings like speed, temperature, and infill.
G-code is the instruction file your printer follows during printing. It tells the printer where to move, how hot to get, and how much filament to extrude.
You usually won’t edit it manually, but it helps to know:
Your slicer creates G-code
Your printer reads G-code to print the object
STL is the most common 3D printing model format. It stores the shape of your object, but doesn’t store advanced print info like color or profiles.
3MF files can store extra data like:
Color information
Printer settings
Multi-material instructions (great for AMS prints)
CAD (Computer-Aided Design) is where you create or edit models. You don’t need CAD to start printing, but it becomes useful when you want to customize designs or build your own parts.
Once you start printing, these settings will come up constantly. Learning them early saves you time and frustration.
Layer height controls how thick each printed layer is. Smaller layers look smoother, but take longer.
Beginner-friendly choices:
0.20mm for everyday prints
0.16mm for cleaner detail
0.08–0.12mm for high-detail models
Infill is the internal pattern inside your print. More infill means stronger parts, but also longer print time and more filament.
A simple infill guide:
10–15% for decorative prints
20–30% for functional prints
40%+ when strength matters most
Print speed is measured in mm/s. Bambu Lab printers are known for high-speed printing, but speed still needs balance depending on your model.
If you want better results:
Keep default profiles early on
Slow down for small parts or sharp corners
Bed temperature helps your first layer stick and reduces warping.
Common bed temperature ranges:
PLA: 55–65°C
PETG: 70–85°C
ABS: 90–110°C
Nozzle temperature depends on the filament you’re using. If it’s too low, you’ll see weak layers or gaps. If it’s too high, you may get stringing or blobs.
Cooling controls how fast filament solidifies after extrusion. PLA usually needs strong cooling, while ABS often needs reduced cooling to prevent cracking and warping.
PLA – PLA is the easiest filament to start with. It prints cleanly and doesn’t warp much.
PETG – PETG is stronger and more flexible than PLA, making it great for functional prints.
ABS – ABS is durable and heat-resistant, but it warps easily unless you print in a stable environment (an enclosure helps a lot).
TPU – TPU is flexible and rubbery—perfect for grips, bumpers, and protective parts.
PVA – PVA is water-soluble support material. It’s great for complex prints with internal geometry when paired with AMS.
PA-CF – Carbon fiber nylon is strong and lightweight, but abrasive. You’ll want hardened components for long-term printing.
Knowing these terms helps you troubleshoot faster and avoid repeat failures.
Stringing: thin strands between separate parts of your print
Warping: corners lifting off the bed as the print cools
Elephant’s Foot: a bulging first layer caused by too much squish
Layer Shifting: layers suddenly misaligning mid-print
Under-extrusion: weak layers or gaps caused by not enough filament flow
Ghosting/Ringing: vibration ripples that show up near sharp corners
Bambu Lab printers include smart features that make printing easier, especially when you’re still learning.
Some Bambu Lab models use Lidar scanning to map the build surface and improve first-layer consistency. This helps you get better adhesion with fewer manual adjustments.
The built-in camera can help monitor print progress and detect issues early, which is perfect if you don’t want to babysit every print.
With Bambu Handy, you can monitor prints remotely, get notifications, and manage jobs without standing next to your printer.
Bambu Lab filament spools can include RFID tags that help identify material type automatically, making setup easier and reducing mistakes.
Printers like the X1C include enclosure features that help maintain stable temperatures for harder materials like ABS, improving reliability.
With AMS, you can create multi-color prints without painting or post-processing, which opens up a lot more creative options.
Now that you understand the vocabulary, you’re ready to print with confidence. Start with a simple PLA model, use the default settings in Bambu Studio, and focus on learning one setting at a time. Every print teaches you something new, and you’ll improve faster than you think.
Once the terminology feels familiar, you’ll stop guessing and start printing with purpose—and that’s when 3D printing becomes genuinely fun.