3D printing is a method of additive manufacturing that builds up a solid object layer by layer from a digital file. It allows for tangible goods to be produced from a digital design. There are several methods of 3D printing including selective laser sintering (SLS), stereolithography, fused deposition modeling (FDM), and polyjet matrix technology that each use different techniques like lasers, liquid resins, or deposition of melted materials to build the layers. 3D printing has applications in industries like medicine, engineering, architecture, fashion, and jewelry for producing prototypes, models, and final products.