Who is allowed to use the printers?

Any UCSC affiliate (students, faculty, and staff) who has completed Library training.

 

When are training sessions available?

Training sessions can be found on the Library Calendar.

 

Do I have to be taking a class to use the printers?

No.  Classes that work with the DSI will get priority use; however, we invite any UCSC affiliate with an academic or creative project to use the space.

 

Can you print something for me?

Probably not.  We will work with faculty interested in prints for class use, but will not print objects for personal projects.  The DSI operates under the philosophy that the making process is an important part of the learning process.  If you have a project you're interested in, you are welcome to learn how to use our equipment and print out your project yourself.  That said, we are working on building a library of 3D printed things to aid in learning.  If you think your project might be useful to a variety of students to learn from, you can suggest that your object be printed by our students and available for checkout within the library using this form.

 

How much does a print cost?

During our pilot period, it does not cost anything to use our 3D printers.  This policy will be revisited quarterly to determine feasibility.

 

What can I print?

Almost anything!  Items in the list below are prohibited.  DSI students and staff review each print using the DSI 3D Print Info sheet at each printer checkout and have the right to request a further review by the DSI director if questionable.

• No weapons
• No copyright materials
• No illegal objects
• No prints that have a print time of longer than 6 hours (during Fall 2019)

 

What filaments can I print with?

You can print with any filament that the library provides.  A list of filaments that the library carries can be found on the Filament Safety Data Sheet page.  Colors and material types will change with availability.  Please email digitalcommons@ucsc.edu if you are interested in knowing what we currently have in stock.

 

What is the longest print time I can set a print for?

We require that you add an additional hour to your print time (30 minutes each at the beginning and the end) to account for setup, takedown, and possible errors.  If you arrive right when we open at 10 am, you can set a print to go that is estimated to run for 6 hours.

 

I have a really long print I want to do, can I leave it to go overnight?

No.  We cannot leave our printers to run without someone attending them.  If your print takes longer than our open time, we recommend breaking the print up into multiple pieces and gluing it together after printed.  

 

I'm teaching a class and I want to provide an assignment that uses 3D printing or have some 3D objects printed for my class.  How do I do that?

To be sure that we can properly support your class, please contact us at digitalcommons@ucsc.edu.  We are eager to work with you and find the best way to support your unique needs.