Working

The official definition of printing “is to impress something in or on” (Merriam-Webster). So, in the conventional way that we come to understand printing, your printer (or machine) is impressing ink (a liquid) onto a piece of paper (a surface).

When we print off a sheet of paper the printer only needs to make that impression once and voila! You have a beautifully printed sheet of paper! So, what if your printer made that impression with the ink over and over again on the same spot? You would assume that the ink locations will get bulkier and you will start to see it rise from the paper…do you see where I am going with this? 

Suddenly with each layer, you begin to find yourself creating something in three dimensions! Boom! We have 3D printing!

3D printing is an additive manufacturing practice that creates a 3-dimensional object by depositing a layer on top of another layer of your material.

Originally 3D printing was commonly used for design, prototyping, even construction applications and that much of the food uses are an adaptation of these practices. For the purpose of creating food, this material needs to be edible, and in liquid or flowable powder format prior to extrusion and deposition. Pressure is an important parameter in this process to ensure the appropriate amount of food is deposited properly. Since food can be an extremely complex matrix, some food liquids might expand once deposited due to the release in pressure after extrusion.