Back-to-School 3D CAD and 3D Printing Resources
With a new school year underway, it’s the perfect time to dive into creative projects and fresh inspiration. In this blog, we’ve pulled together a collection of recent updates from PrintLab - along with a glimpse at what’s coming next. Whether you’re planning lessons, exploring ideas, or seeking opportunities for professional development, you’ll be sure to find something useful here!
26th August 2025 • News
35 Tinkercad Workflow Tips
Let’s start with a quick win: 35 Tinkercad workflow tips in just 10 minutes. This rapid-fire video is packed with ways to design faster, smarter, and more efficiently. Whether you’re new to Tinkercad or a seasoned user, you’ll find techniques to improve workflow, positioning, scaling, 3D printing, and presentation. A great resource for both students and teachers.
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Free Autodesk Fusion Training for Educators
If you’re currently using Tinkercad and looking for the next step to an industry-standard CAD software (Autodesk Fusion), then this is for you! We recently partnered with Autodesk to offer educators a free 12 hour virtual training course. Fusion Fundamentals is a live virtual course designed specifically for teachers. In just 12 hours (delivered over 2–3 days, depending on your location), you’ll learn the essential skills needed to teach Fusion CAD with confidence.
MakerTrack: 3D Printed Electronic Products Course
MakerTrack is our new system for designing and building products powered by solderless circuits. The course guides you through creating functional products like flashlights and fans using 3D printed mounts, conductive tape, and simple components. It’s a hands-on way for students to explore electronics and product design – no soldering required!
Assistive Technology Pathway
One area especially close to our hearts is assistive technology. This pathway brings together a range of PrintLab resources that guide teachers, students, and makers step by step – from building design skills to creating functional, life-improving products. It’s also an excellent way to prepare for our annual Make:able Assistive Technology Challenge.
New Connections + Mechanisms Tutorials
We’ve added new tutorials (dovetail, friction chamfer, snap fit) to our Connections & Mechanisms course, giving you more ways to bring movement and function into your 3D designs. From simple joints to clever clips, these step-by-step tutorials help students understand how parts can connect and interact – an essential skill for creative product design.
And now a quick look at what we’re currently working on…
Branding and Documentation Course
We’re developing a brand-new course that goes beyond building products, focusing on how to present and share them. From simple logos and colour palettes to product photography and MakerGuides, this course will help students and teachers showcase their designs in a professional, shareable way. We’ll also explore how branding and documentation can support open source sharing—making it easier for others to use, adapt, and build upon your work.
Outdoor Adventures Challenge
We’re also working on a brand-new design challenge themed around outdoor adventures. From camping gear to hiking accessories, students will be encouraged to design and 3D print creative solutions for the outdoors – developing problem-solving skills while having fun with real-world applications. To spark ideas, we’ll share a story showing the design process we took to improve the experience of cooking when camping.
And that wraps up our back-to-school roundup! We’re excited to see how teachers, students, and makers use these resources in the months ahead – and we can’t wait to share more as our upcoming projects take shape. If you’d like to explore everything PrintLab has to offer, get started on your free trial below.
Access all of PrintLab's back-to-school resources today