3D printing is an additive manufacturing technology that creates 3D objects by laying down layers of material. It was invented in the 1980s and has revolutionized industries like medical, aerospace, automotive, art, and fashion. 3D printing allows customized prosthetics and implants to be made for individual patients, prototypes to be made quickly in aerospace and automotive, and new sculptural forms to be explored in art and architecture. Industries now use 3D printing for both prototyping and finished products.