Entering the 3D printer: negotiations of imprecision in making

3D printing generally makes use of CAD software and slicers to mediate designerly intentions and fabrication instructions to the machine. This can obstruct the making process to such a degree that the designer risks becoming an observer of an ongoing print. To trouble this situation, we devised a manual control that enables the designer to manipulate one of the axes of the 3D printer. Through this embodied process, the incoming toolpath becomes another material to be extruded together with the 3D printing filament. The negotiations of (im)precision and intent between designer and machine are recorded and can be used as input for a new beginning. In this pictorial, we share our annotated 3D prints as a way of highlighting and paying attention to the relations between code, material, machine, and designer. We contribute with the system and reflections on embodied fabrication.