3D printing is a unique form of printing that is related to traditional rapid prototyping technology. A three dimensional object is created by layering and connecting successive cross sections of material. 3D printers are generally faster, more affordable and easier to use than other additive fabrication technologies. While prototyping dominates current uses, 3D printers offers tremendous potential for retail consumer uses.

This technology is commonly used in the following industries: jewelry, footwear, industrial design, automotive and medical industries.

The CMYK color model, also referred to as process color or four color system - is a subtractive color model, used in color printing. The CMYK name refers to the four inks used in the printing process: cyan, magenta, yellow, and key black. Though it varies by print house, press operator, press manufacturer and press run, ink is typically applied in the order of the abbreviation.

The “K” in CMYK stands for key since in four-color printing cyan, magenta, and yellow printing plates are carefully keyed or aligned with the key of the black key plate. Some sources suggest that the “K” in CMYK comes from the last letter in "black" and was chosen because B already means blue. However, this explanation, though plausible and useful as a mnemonic, is incorrect.

While the CMYK color system is for printed material the RGB system is intended for and mostly used in on screen visualization.

Numerical control (NC) refers to the automation of machine tools that are operated by abstractly programmed commands encoded on a storage medium, as opposed to manually controlled via handwheels or levers or mechanically automated via cams alone. The first NC machines were built in the 1940s and 50s, based on existing tools that were modified with motors that moved the controls to follow points fed into the system on paper tape. These early servomechanisms were rapidly augmented with analog and digital computers, creating the modern computer numerical controlled (CNC) machine tools that have revolutionized the design process.

In modern CNC systems, end-to-end component design is highly automated using CAD/CAM programs. The programs produce a computer file that is interpreted to extract the commands needed to operate a particular machine, and then loaded into the CNC machines for production. Since any particular component might require the use of a number of different tools - drills, saws, etc. - modern machines often combine multiple tools into a single "cell". In other cases, a number of different machines are used with an external controller and human or robotic operators that move the component from machine to machine. In either case the complex series of steps needed to produce any part is highly automated and produces a part that closely matches the original CAD design.

Dots per inch (DPI) is a measure of spatial printing in the graphic industry and/or video dot density in flat screen technologies. The number of individual dots that can be placed within the span of one linear inch (2.54 cm). The DPI value tends to correlate with image resolution, but is related only indirectly.

General resolution markers:

Screen - 72 dpi
Printing - 120-150 dpi
Press - 300-1200 dpi

The use of additive manufacturing for rapid prototyping takes virtual designs from computer aided design (CAD) or animation modeling software, transforms them into thin, virtual, horizontal cross-sections and then creates successive layers until the model is complete. It is a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) process where the virtual model and the physical model are almost identical.

The well-known traditional prototyping technology is SLS (selective laser sintering) which used thermoplastics and metals powders as the base materials although it’s more accurate but the thermoplastics are rather expensive.

RP technology is used in the following industries: jewelry, footwear, industrial design, automotive and medical industries.

The RGB color model is developed for dislpaying colors on screens like LCD's TV's and others. It is an additive color model in which red, green, and blue light are added together in various ways to reproduce a broad array of colors. The name of the model comes from the initials of the three additive primary colors, red, green, and blue.

The RGB system is intented for and mostly used in on screen visualization where as the CMYK color system if for printed material.