What’s the deal with Benchy, the unofficial mascot of 3D printing?

Within the world of 3D printing, one model has emerged as something of a mascot for the hobby. The company sold hardware and software relating to 3D printing at the time, and first released 3DBenchy on Thingiverse under the CreativeTools account. A 3D printer benchmarking toolDesigned to put your printer through its pacesCredit: Tim Brookes / How-To GeekCredit: Tim Brookes / How-To GeekCredit: Tim Brookes / How-To GeekCredit: Tim Brookes / How-To GeekCredit: Tim Brookes / How-To GeekClose Credit: Tim Brookes / How-To GeekCredit: Tim Brookes / How-To GeekCredit: Tim Brookes / How-To GeekCredit: Tim Brookes / How-To GeekCredit: Tim Brookes / How-To GeekDespite its cutesy appearance, Benchy actually packs in a large number of calibration tests for any printer. As the documentation puts it, “the shape and size of this 3D model is designed to challenge 3D printers.” There’s nothing stopping you from 3D printing a Benchy, but there might be better calibration tools out there.