Buying a 3D printer? Here's what you should consider

Yes, you can even print the head of Elvis with a 3D printer. German researchers recently didi it in bronze to display it in a town where the singer once posed for a photograph. — Roland Weihrauch/dpa

A face mask? A printed head of Elvis? That missing part from your old grandfather clock? The applications of 3D printing in the home are boundless – and the same goes for various industries from health care to car manufacturing.

While the visions of an additive-manufactured world may still be distant, there are plenty of ways you can already put a 3D printer to use in your own home.