Alright, I've had some people ask me about 3d printing for cosplay.  I am not what I would consider an expert on the topic, but I do know a decent amount about 3d printers and printing in the home or on a small scale.  So, I'm going to do my best to cover it.  This will not be an all encompassing thing, but I'll tell you what I can and the post will also serve as a decent segue into my 3d printed props for Wilhelmina.

• Type of material. There is a wide range of materials available and all have their own properties. The most common you will see used are PLA and ABS plastic. Both melt at a reasonably low temperature (about 150c to 260c, generally) and have a decent strength. They are cheap and readily available.
• Print resolution. Simply put, this is the quality of print. The lower the resolution, the thinner the layers of material, and the higher the quality of print. The difference in resolution comes at the cost of amount of material used and time to finish a print. Most consumer printers seem to print between 100 microns (.1mm) and 300 microns (.3mm). Though many are coming on the market with a high resolution end of 50 and even 20 microns. Keep in mind, you will be paying for that better print resolution.
• Print area. This is pretty clear. The larger the print area, the larger the possible print. Most consumer printers seem to have an average of about an 8 inch cube with some much smaller and some a decent amount larger.
• Your print environment. This can be a pretty big factor. For example: If you are thinking of printing inside your home, you will likely want something that can print relatively quiet and the presence of decent climate control inside a living space means an enclosure isn't terribly necessary. However, if you are printing in a garage or workshop you won't necessarily need to worry about sound levels but will be more likely to require an enclosure to help regulate temperature.
• Type of build platform. Put simply, this is what your print will sit on and adhere to.This can have a pretty big effect on your quality of print and is also highly dependent on the type of material you will use. The most used print beds seem to be aluminum, glass, and ceramic. and ceramic. No matter the material of your build platform, you will most likely need a form of interface to help the print adhere. These can include Kapton tape, PTFE, blue painters tape, an abs slurry, or even simple purple gluestick. What works best will depend on your material and will require some experimentation on your part. One thing I can't encourage enough is a heated platform. This makes a HUGE difference when it comes to quality printing.
• Connectivity. Is it tethered to your computer via USB? Is it wireless? Does it require the file to be directly loaded to the printer on an SD card? Is there an app for your phone to monitor and control the printer? These are all things to consider and go beyond just preference. Think about your space and your needs when you search for the right printer.
• Tech/customer support. It is a certain that eventually you will need help of some kind help with your printer. Be this due to damage on shipment, a catastrophically clogged printer head, fried stepper motor, or myriad other things. Having a company with good tech and customer service backing you up during these times can be a huge benefit.
• Community around the printer. The printing community is, mostly, incredibly talkative an helpful. These things aren't just tools, they are a hobby and as a result, there are tons of people who just can't wait to talk about their trials and triumphs with their printers and printing in general. What's more, communities pop up around individual printer brands and models. This means you will always have a great resource available to help you with potential problems and give advice. Just make sure you check the FAQ of the reddit or forum you are on before you ask. ;)
• Aesthetics. This is purely up to you and your your preferences. Printers come in the purely functional, unassuming, and even flashy-tokyo-drift kind of printers. If you worry about how a printer will look on your worktable, office, or workshop then you will want to consider this. Keep in mind that looks often come with a price tag and if you want those slick and stylish purple LED strips running that beautifully engraved acrylic enclosure . . . well, you're gonna pay for it.

     To get a sense of what you want, check reviews on places like 3dhubs, Consumer Reports, and Tom's Guide. A good review of available printers can be super helpful in helping you decide what type of printer you need. And don't forget to talk to the printing community for help as well.

• Setof metric hex-ball drivers – These will be used for everything from calibration to printer repair as most of your printer will likely be assembled using machine screws with hex heads
• Precisionscrewdrivers – The parts of your printer that don't use hex screws will use tiny screws like your computer. These are also great for the unconventional use of removing small support material without having to immediately break out your hobby knife.
• Digitalcaliper – These will be needed for calibration of your printer. There is no other way around it. You WILL need one of these and some extra batteries just in case.
• Heatand electric resistant tweezers – These are great for a ton of reasons from plucking material gunk from your print head, cleaning up prints, holding parts while repairing, or even simply retrieving screws fallen in a difficult to access area. They don't need to be electrical and heat resistant, but it is nice.
• NeedleNose Pliers – This are basically needed to take care of the tasks your tweezers are too small or fragile to manage. They are also great for removing relatively stubborn pieces of large support material from your prints.
• Thinblade metal putty knife – For detaching stubborn prints from your print surface. Be careful not to scratch that surface, though.
• Flushcutter – You will want one of these for a variety of reasons from snipping filament to cleaning up your print after the fact.
• HobbyKnife – You will need these to help finish your prints.
• Toothbrush – Yup . . . a toothbrush. These are unbeatable at cleaning your printhead and extruder assembly from material dust and bits.
• Acetone – If you are printing in ABS, which you most likely will, you will need this stuff like woah! Not only is it the only way to clean up messy print beds, it also is used to create the amazing ABS juice/goo/slurry/sludge/glue/whatever-you-want-to-call-it. It can even be used to help finish your prints using a careful acetone fume bath.
• Other stuff you probably will want on hand – glass mason jar (for your abs juice), something to hold your scrap material (deli container, Tupperware, just not a bag), rubber gloves, face mask or even a respirator if you are using material like nylon, scissors, zip ties, gator clips, folding bone, dental mirror, laser thermometer, paint brushes, small LED flashlight, pieces of scrap paper . . . there are more, but you will discover the little things you will need as you go.