Hi interweb, my company recently got a 3D printer that we expect to use for prototyping. What are some of the big considerations that we need to keep in mind when printing prototypes?
 - Cost: Your prototyping process should have a budget that’s factored into the whole design and production effort.
- Measurement units: This may seem menial, but settle on one consistent system of units before you complete the design. It should be a system that works for both your prototyping stages and full-scale production. You don’t want conversion errors to hamper your design.
- Tolerances: No production method is 100% perfect and prototypes are notorious for having less-than-exact dimensions. Decide what tolerances are acceptable for the final product and also what are acceptable for your prototypes.
- Materials: Sometimes a prototype is made in a different material than the final product. 3D printers, in particular, have some distinct material limitations. If your prototype is made of a different material than your end product, research the different effects those materials might give you. 
- Functionality: Does your prototype need to contain all the functions of the final product or is it mainly there to test fit and aesthetics? The latter may be far cheaper to make, but won’t cover all development programs.
- Intellectual property rights: Before you dive deep into the design process, you need to thoroughly research any similar items. There’s no sense in producing even a prototype if the finished product would violate trademarks or patents. Intellectual property lawyers can be very helpful in this regard.
-	Start simple: If you’re in a position to create multiple iterative prototypes, start with just the basic fit and form for the first one. You can put more functionality into successive prints while you refine the overall design.