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Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Sam.

And I'm Neil.

In 1436 in Germany, Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press,

a machine capable of making many copies of the same page of text.

Ever since, printing has been used around the world to produce books,

newspapers and magazines.

Printing technology has come a long way since Gutenberg's time,

but even today's most advanced laser printers have only printed flat

two-dimensional objects until now.

In this programme, we're discussing 3D printers, printers which can build

solid three-dimensional objects out of a variety of materials,

including plastic, concrete and metal.

Now, Neil, when you say a printer that can make solid objects,

I guess you're not talking about a normal printer.

That's right, Sam.

These large and complex 3D printers work in a completely different way.

Unlike a sculptor who chips away at a block of stone to reveal a shape underneath,

3D printers work in the opposite way, building up physical objects

by adding material layer on layer.

And the ability to print objects in this way is providing solutions to many problems

...