The 2D printing press was discovered in more than one culture throughout different points in history – Chinese craftsmen in the 9th century , however , carved words onto inked wooden blocks as the first iteration . In 1440 , Johannes Gutenberg created the first typeface printing press , taking over from monks who used to hand-transcribe manuscripts . The recent advent of 3D printing has revolutionised the manufacturing industry , so here ’ s a short history .

3D printing first documented in Japan

1980s Japan saw a transformation in the economy , with computers becoming mainstream and a place for Hideo Kodama ’ s rapid prototyping system , which used UV light to polymerise a photosensitive resin . Though Kodama was unable to create a patent for 3D printing , he is generally regarded as the de facto inventor .

First 3D printing patent

For American builder Charles Hull , necessity really was the mother of invention . He needed tiny custom parts made quickly for the furniture he manufactured , so he built a 3D printer that printed photosensitive resin layer by layer . Hull filed the first patent for Stereolithography , also known as the ‘ SLA ’, in 1986 .