Top 10 AM journalists
The best writers in the most thankless job in 3D printing
If you have ever had the thought that working in AM is thankless because it requires an insane amount of knowledge and commitment, while the money it brings in bears absolutely no relation to the effort involved, stop for a moment.
The truth is that the most thankless job in AM is being a journalist specializing in the market and technology.
3D printing is niche and, apart from the desktop FFF sector, it will remain that way for a very long time. Niche means small, and small means there is no big money here. Heck, I’m not even sure there is any big money at all.
Historically, the biggest advertisers have either been old fossils spending money with corporate, deeply ingrained enthusiasm, or startups inflated with free cash, burning through their funding rounds for two or three years before disappearing from the market forever in year four or five.
So if you run a publication covering the AM market, there is no way you can survive on writing alone. You have to do something else.
And every leading publication does exactly that: it writes and sells market reports, provides consulting, organizes conferences and webinars. Some even provide 3D printing services. Yes, there are advertising contracts, but they would barely keep a three-person editorial team alive. For an AM media business to be sustainable, it has to be multidisciplinary. Writing is essentially advertising for the services that actually bring in the money.
I have spent a ridiculous amount of time doing multi-layered analyses of what could be done, and how, to make decent money simply by writing about 3D printing. Every single time, I reached the same conclusion: there’s no money in it.
People love me. They love reading my articles. But they love doing it for free.
I’m not offended by that. I don’t feel any sense of injustice or any other related negative emotion.
After writing about 3D printing since the beginning of 2013, I’ve simply come to terms with it. At the end of the day, nobody is forcing me to do this. Nobody is holding a gun to my head. I can do something else, right?
I write because I like it, because I find it fascinating. Because I have a good feel for the market and the industry, and I enjoy sharing that with others.
So that’s how it is. And I explained why some time ago, in an article with the beautiful title “We will love you for free.”
In a nutshell: the industry is poor, so it can’t be generous toward AM writers. On top of that, it doesn’t value them particularly highly, being far too impressed with its own achievements, inventions and machines. And at the same time, it needs them like air, because without articles about them, nobody would ever know they existed.
So today, for a change, I decided to do something unusual. No, I don’t have enough money to pay every writer out of my own pocket. But I can recognize the people I value the most. Publicly declare my love for them (for free, obviously!)
I also hope that you’ll give a thumbs-up to one or two of these names, maybe even a little heart. It won’t pay anyone’s bills, but at least it might make them feel good.
So here it is. My personal ranking of the best AM writers!
One important thing. This ranking is “my personal” ranking, which means I’m listing writers I read, appreciate, and, in some cases, who actually shaped me as a writer. I know most of them personally, and I consider a few of them good friends.
So obviously, I’m biased.
But I haven’t left anyone out due to ill will. In fact, there are people on this list I don’t particularly like, but whom I respect for their legacy, craft and consistency (even if we disagree on many things).
If someone isn’t here, there are two possible reasons:
Either I rarely read their work (or don’t read it at all), which doesn’t mean they’re bad; they simply didn’t make it into my personal ranking.
Or they didn’t make the list because the list has only ten names.
So if your question is “why isn’t X or Y on the list?”, read what I wrote above one more time, okay? It’s nothing personal. It’s just an article. As I mentioned, there are no cash prizes here, only free love.
Let’s begin!
Honourable Mention
Let’s start with writers I’m not including in the main ranking because they are either no longer active journalists, have moved away from AM into another field, or operate regionally and are relatively unknown outside their home country (even though they are well known in their own market).
Michael Molitch-Hou
An absolute legend of AM journalism. Former editor-in-chief of 3D Printing Industry and 3DPrint.com. Probably the first investigative journalist in the additive manufacturing industry, exposing the hypocrisy and bullshit of the companies and people who make it. And at the same time, an incredibly lovely and humble person.
After leaving 3DPrint, he spent more than a year with ASTM, but literally last Friday announced that he was leaving. We don’t know what his next move will be or whether we’ll see him in another newsroom (probably eventually). One thing is certain: no ranking like this has any right to exist without his name on it.
Jan Homola
It is widely believed that the biggest and most important figure in Czech 3D printing is Josef Průša. But the Czech industry would not be what it is without Jan Homola. He created the biggest 3D printing conference in Central Europe and has been its tireless ambassador at home. On top of that, he has an extraordinary talent for writing. It’s a great shame that he writes exclusively in his native language, because the whole world deserves to read his work.
Like Molitch-Hou, Homola is a humble and down-to-earth person, despite being one of the very few people who actually made some decent money from this job. I know his story fairly well: the highs, but also the dramatic setbacks. And I have enormous respect and admiration for him.
For some time now, he has been focusing mainly on defense-related topics, and 3D printing has practically disappeared from his work. But his legacy is beyond dispute. Yes, when it comes to China, we disagree quite dramatically, which doesn’t stop us from having normal conversations and a normal relationship. That, too, is a big thing, and something that favorably distinguishes him from that other guy from the Czech Republic...
Emanuel Campos (Impresso3D)
I would love to say that my Substack is “the biggest in 3D printing”, but all I can honestly say is that it is the biggest “when it comes to the additive manufacturing market”. Because despite substantial and constant growth, I still can’t catch up with Emanuel Campos in the main category...
And that is genuinely amazing. Because my articles and newsletter are aimed at the whole world, while Emanuel writes from Brazil for Brazilians. And he still has a bigger reach! Seriously. I highly recommend both his writing and him as a creator.
Li Chen (3Dzyk)
Chen is the creator and editor-in-chief of 3Dzyk, one of the most important 3D printing media outlets in China. It is an excellent source of information, featuring original reporting and analysis as well. And we’re not talking about some newcomer here: Li Chen has years of experience in corporate 3D printing and has worked for companies including Stratasys and Markforged.
Johannes Lutz (3D Industrie)
Lutz is the managing director of 3D Industrie, a leading German consulting company. Previously, he founded Mark3D. He is the author of the book 3D Printing Professional Knowledge, publishes a weekly podcast on 3D printing, and puts out the printed Vom 3D-Druck zur Produktion report.
Official Top 10
#10 Sam Davies (TCT Magazine)
I admit, I had a pretty hard time deciding here, because the two TCT Magazine writers, Laura Griffiths (a lovely and genuinely nice person) and Sam Davies, are both very good journalists. But I decided I wasn’t going to compromise or play it safe. I had to pick one name. I went with Sam.
Largely because of this one piece: “DEEP DIVES | Do industrial additive manufacturing machines cost too much?” It was so good and so deeply insider that it inspired me to write my own. Unfortunately, most of Sam’s best articles sit behind a subscription, which naturally limits their reach. But if you make it through it, his content is seriously top-tier.
No offense, Laura...
#9 Matt Kremenetsky (3DPrint)
One of the best analysts in the industry, turning his sharp observations into articles for 3DPrint. A great insider with a very accessible writing style. One of my favorite writers.
#8 Carolyn Schwaar (All3DP)
One half of All3DP’s double-impact editorial core, specializing in the industrial sector and everything around it. A pretty damn good analyst, but above all, a very good and solid technology journalist. Together with Matthew Mensley, she defines the editorial line and strength of the publication.
#7 Matthew Mensley (All3DP)
While Carolyn focuses on the industrial sector, Matthew writes mostly about desktop 3D printing. He follows every rumor, social media discussion and YouTube drama. Then he goes back to the poor PR managers at the companies involved, first asking for comment and then immediately following up with difficult and uncomfortable questions.
During my six-month tenure as acting PR Manager at Bambu Lab, Matthew was the only person from the media I genuinely wanted to strangle because of the questions he sent me and the articles he subsequently published. Which is probably the highest possible compliment to his journalistic impartiality.
And although I still disagree with some of his arguments to this day, I can’t deny his insight, attention to detail and, above all, independence. Reading his articles, I finally understood what all those companies had felt for years while reading mine...
#6 Vanesa Listek (3DPrint)
Hands down, Vanesa is my favorite writer in the entire AM sector. I love reading her work. Even if it’s just a write-up of some company’s quarterly financial results, out of all the possible sources, I will always choose her version.
The only reason she didn’t make the top five is that other names had to go there (read: there would have been a shitstorm if I kicked any of them out of the top five; and overall, they simply deserve to be there; Magic Johnson hasn’t played basketball in 30 years and he still ends up in the top five greatest players of all time).
So, Vanesa: keep writing this well, stick around in this industry for another couple of years, and I’ll be able to put you in the TOP 5 with a completely clear conscience. Great work!
All-Time Greatest
Now we move on to the all-time greatest section. Here I considered not only current work but also legacy, because every person below has genuinely contributed to the development of the global 3D printing industry for the past 10 years or more.
#5 Michael Petch (3D Printing Industry)
The head of 3D Printing Industry, one of the longest-running AM publications in the world. He joined in 2016 during a major restructuring, shortly after the publication had effectively gone bankrupt and changed ownership. So you could say he gave it a new direction and editorial voice, both of which have continued to this day. Michael is also the host and main organizer of the 3D Printing Industry Awards.
He has very solid journalistic chops and has published quite a few exposés. But (and this is my reservation and the reason for his lower position) he has also written a few PR-friendly pieces that cast a shadow over his work - like the one about Reichental in 2019, which seemed to serve as a counterweight to Michael Molitch-Hou’s famous 2015 article on the same subject.
But hey... Everyone has to publish something like that at some point, right? It doesn’t change the fact that Petch is a legend in the industry and one of those names that needs no follow-up explanation about who he is or what he does.
#4 Kerry Stevenson (Fabbaloo)
The creator of the longest-running 3D printing website in the world (since October 2007!) I don’t know if anyone has written more articles over the course of their career than Kerry. An absolute legend, and the fact that he has been writing about 3D printing for almost 20 years makes him one of the most accomplished people in the industry.
Not all of Kerry’s articles work for me stylistically, and sometimes his opinions are completely off the mark. But that represents a tiny percentage of a gigantic body of work. Kerry Stevenson belongs to the small group of people who publish more opinion pieces than they simply report industry news (which is what most people focus on). His opinion pieces were a major inspiration for me in the early years, back in 2013 and 2014, when I was writing my first articles for the Polish Centrum Druku 3D.
His 3D printer reviews deserve a special mention: meticulous, thorough, and rarely shorter than four separate parts.
Oh, and it’s hard to find a nicer, friendlier person. Kerry, even when he is being critical, sounds like a florist selling a bouquet to a young couple in love.
#3 Peter Zelinski (The Zelinski Report)
Another legendary figure, who has been in the industry for more than a decade. Founder of Additive Manufacturing Media, and before that, for many years a journalist covering industrial manufacturing in general.
After leaving AMM, he joined ASTM and launched his own Substack, The Zelinski Report, where he publishes reports (including video) from visits to factories using 3D printing in their day-to-day operations.
#2 Davide Sher (VoxelMatters)
Co-founder and CEO of VoxelMatters, and previously a journalist associated with 3D Printing Industry and 3DPrint, among others. Author of market reports. Podcaster, keynote speaker and media personality in general. And, of course, a very good friend of mine whom I’ve known for more than a decade.
Davide created the world’s largest database of AM companies, but he made his name by relentlessly traveling to companies and producing reports from their facilities, long before anyone else was doing it. Today, he mostly focuses on industry news, but whenever he occasionally publishes a trade show, conference or event report, or reviews a 3D printer, he demonstrates the full extent of his craft and writing talent.
His focus on news is a side effect of what I wrote about at the beginning. Davide spends a significant amount of time working on market reports, which are an important (although not the only) part of his company’s revenue. And that is genuinely demanding work (I know, because I co-authored two of them myself, in 2024 and 2025).
Everyone in the industry knows Davide, and everyone loves him for his cheerful, positive attitude toward the industry and the technology. Despite all these years, he is probably still the biggest AM optimist among journalists.
#1 Joris Peels (3DPrint)
No, there was never going to be a surprise here. And if anyone, anywhere, had any doubts that it should be him, his latest article on SLS and MJF, “The Formlabs X1 Versus the HP 1200: Costing, Throughput & 30% Packing Density” should have put those doubts to rest. The thing is, Joris has written many, many more groundbreaking pieces throughout his career.
His biggest strength is his original analytical writing. On the one hand, he analyzes current events; on the other, he describes broader industry phenomena. It was Joris who, in the fall of 2023, started the critical discourse around the companies shaping the third era of 3D printing (mass additive manufacturing, aka SPAC madness), opening up an entirely new discussion about the state of the market.
On a personal note: it was his writing, along with Alex Huckstepp’s, that pulled me out of my personal 3D printing hibernation and pushed me back into writing at the turn of 2023 and 2024.
At the same time, just to be clear: Joris’s writing style isn’t the best. Sometimes I have a genuinely hard time figuring out what “the author meant.” Some of his comparisons and narrative twists, like the banana market analogy in the mini-series about Additive Chicken Coop, are, to put it mildly, controversial.
But behind that sometimes overly elaborate form, there are always wonderful, visionary analyses. Peels is always one turn ahead, seeing things the rest of the industry doesn’t even expect to encounter.
And that’s not all… Joris runs two renowned podcasts: 3DPOD (with Maxwell Bogue) and The Prosthetics and Orthotics Podcast (with Brent Wright).
So my verdict could not have been any different. In my opinion, he is the best AM writer today.
So, this is my ranking. If you agree, hit like. If you don’t like it or my list made you angry, don’t hesitate and add a comment.
And finally, a very short poll. Where would you put me on this ranking, if anywhere? You don’t have to pay for anything, so you might as well vote. For free.