Every term the report uses, in plain language. Written for someone who has never owned a 3D printer, because that is who an audio summary of this report is read to.
3MF (3D Manufacturing Format). A newer model file format that can carry colors and settings as well as shape.
ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene). The older cousin of ASA, with the same warping and fume behavior and less UV resistance.
ACE (Anycubic Color Engine). Anycubic's four-spool multi-color unit, sold as ACE Pro and ACE 2 Pro.
AGPL (GNU Affero General Public License). A stricter relative of the GPL.
AMS (Automatic Material System). Bambu Lab's name for the box that holds four filament spools and swaps between them so one printer can print in several colors.
API (application programming interface). A documented way for other software to talk to the printer, which is what makes home-automation integration possible.
ASA (acrylonitrile styrene acrylate). A tough, UV-resistant filament for parts that live outdoors or take impact. It warps unless the printer holds a warm, still chamber, and it gives off fumes that want filtering.
CF (carbon fiber). Filament with chopped carbon fiber mixed in, for stiffer parts. The fibers grind soft brass nozzles away, so the printer needs hardened steel.
CFS (Creality Filament System). Creality's four-spool multi-color unit.
CoreXY. A motion design where two motors move the print head across a fixed plane while the bed drops. It is steadier at speed than a bedslinger, which moves the whole print back and forth.
FDM (fused deposition modeling). The common kind of 3D printing, where a nozzle melts plastic filament and draws the object one thin layer at a time. Also called FFF.
FFF (fused filament fabrication). The same process as FDM. The two names exist because one of them was trademarked.
GF (glass fiber). The same idea as carbon fiber, using glass. Equally abrasive.
GPL (GNU General Public License). A license that requires whoever ships the software to publish its source code. Several printers here run modified open-source firmware, and whether the maker actually publishes it is a real difference between them.
HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air). A filter grade that catches the fine particles a hot nozzle throws off. Carbon filters catch smells; HEPA catches particles. ASA in a family room wants both.
IDEX (independent dual extruder). Two print heads that move separately, so a printer can use two materials or print two copies at once.
IFS (Intelligent Filament System). Flashforge's built-in four-color feeder on the AD5X.
LAN (local area network). Your home network. A printer with a full local-only mode can be driven from your own machines without sending anything to the manufacturer.
MMU (Multi Material Unit). Any add-on that feeds several filaments into a printer so it can change color or material mid-print. Prusa uses the name for its own unit; the term is also used generically.
MSRP (manufacturer's suggested retail price). The list price, which many of these machines never actually sell at.
PEI (polyetherimide). The textured coating on most modern print beds. Parts stick to it when hot and pop off when cool.
PETG (polyethylene terephthalate glycol). A tougher, slightly flexible filament that survives heat and impact better than PLA. Harder to get a clean surface from.
PLA (polylactic acid). The easiest filament to print. Stiff, cheap, and fine indoors, but it softens in a hot car and is not tough.
PVA (polyvinyl alcohol). A filament that dissolves in water, used to print supports that wash away instead of being snapped off.
RFID (radio-frequency identification). A chip in a filament spool that tells the printer what is loaded. Convenient, but it is also how a manufacturer can favor its own filament.
SKU (stock keeping unit). One specific thing a shop sells. It matters here because a printer and the same printer bundled with a color unit are different SKUs at different prices, and mixing them up is the commonest way a price gets recorded wrongly.
SSH (secure shell). A way to log into the printer's own computer and change things. Its presence is strong evidence a machine is genuinely open.
STL (stereolithography file). The oldest and most common 3D model file format.
T1 (evidence tier 1). A manufacturer's own specification, manual or store page. Authoritative for what a thing is and what it costs; useless for whether it works.
T2 (evidence tier 2). An independent measured test: a teardown, a benchmark, or someone who ran the machine for weeks and reported what broke.
T4 (evidence tier 4). Community reports from forums and owner threads. This study requires three or more independent reports before calling anything common.
TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane). Rubbery filament for flexible parts.
VOC (volatile organic compound). The fumes given off by melting plastic. What the carbon half of a filter is for.
dB (decibels). The unit of loudness. Normal conversation is around 60 dB; a quiet room is around 30. Every 10 dB is roughly a doubling of perceived loudness, so a 60 dB printer is about twice as loud as a 50 dB one.