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Saying that 3D printing is oftentimes a difficult concept to explain is a bit of an understatement, especially to anyone who works in or related to the field. It took months for my mother to stop asking where the paper went in the printer, and I’m still not fully convinced that she finally understands instead of having just grown tired of my attempting to explain it to her.

However 3D printing isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. It will continue to be an increasingly important part of our lives. Not only as more manufacturing industries integrate additive manufacturing processes into their businesses, 3D printing will be playing ever increasing roles in the healthcare industry, dental applications, and food service, and rapid prototyping will continue to usher in an era of better designed consumer products. It is more important than ever to begin introducing the concepts behind 3D printing to schools now so our current generation grows into the one that will usher in a new age of democratized manufacturing.

The 3D printing information aggregator 3D Printing for Everyone — 3DP4E — has joined the growing list of companies producing educational materials aimed directly at those who are unfamiliar with 3D printing concepts and technology. Their new series of Whiteboard Animations was specifically developed after 3DP4E founder Ron Rose had recent media studies graduate Noah Waldman produce a four minute video explaining 3D printing technology and processes.

“When I was hired by 3DP4E, I really didn’t know much about 3D Printing,” explained Waldman, who was hired based on multiple white-board animation videos that he has produced and uploaded to YouTube. “But I thought it was such a neat field of technology that I began to read up about it in order to try and get a better understanding of it. Also because it was kind of my job.”

The first video titled3Ducation 101: What is 3D Printing walks viewers through the basics of both fused deposition manufacturing — FDM — and stereolithography — SLA — 3D printing methods. Rose was so impressed with the video that Waldman produced that he hired him to create an entire series of videos idea for the classroom or just to explain what you to do your parents, friends, or partners who may not get it.

“I think what Noah is creating is just brilliant!” said Rose, the founder and CEO of 3DP4E. “Our goal is to become a resource for people looking to get into 3D Printing, and I feel that these videos are the best way to learn the basics. They are smart, informative and just so entertaining to watch.”

There are currently five videos in the 3Ducation series, including History of 3D Printing, 3D Printing by Any Other Name, What is Digital Manufacturing, and their latest, 3D Printing Materials. Presenting the information using a straightforward and easy-to-follow method like white-board animation is an ideal way to communicate the complexity of 3D printing to neophytes and students alike. All of the 3Ducation videos are available for free and if you would like to share them in your classroom with your students they are available on the 3DP4E YouTube page and their Vimeo page.

Those who work in 3D printing-related fields sometimes run into trouble in unexpected avenues — like explaining what they do to those at home. Whether trying to tell Mom what you do all day at work or explaining to students in the classroom, there’s a new educational tool available, thanks to the team at 3D Printing for Everyone (3DP4E). With a new series of Whiteboard Animations from Noah Waldman, 3DP4E’s 3Ducation series has now expanded to five short videos explaining 3D printing technology.