{"id":12470,"date":"2020-01-08T15:13:39","date_gmt":"2020-01-08T23:13:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/?p=12470"},"modified":"2025-08-07T08:01:03","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T15:01:03","slug":"meet-charles-hull-inventor-of-stereolithography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/meet-charles-hull-inventor-of-stereolithography\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet Charles Hull, Inventor of Stereolithography"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>Charles Hull remains one of the most notable inventors, having helped shape the way many industries operate with the introduction of 3D printing. Even today, Hull continues to work in 3D design to continue advancing the useful and innovative tool.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter wp-image-12471\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"336\" src=\"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/hull1.png\" alt=\"Charles Hull, inventor of stereolithography.\" class=\"wp-image-12471\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/hull1.png 640w, https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/hull1-300x158.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"who-is-charles-hull\"><strong>Who is Charles Hull?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<p>Charles (Chuck) Hull, born May 12, 1939 in Clifton, Colorado, is the inventor of stereolithography, the pioneering technology behind <a href=\"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/solutions\/3d-printing\">3D printing<\/a>. As co-founder and executive vice president of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.3dsystems.com\/\">3D Systems<\/a>, Hull revolutionized manufacturing and design by enabling rapid prototyping and production of complex objects from digital models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<?php\nfunction autodesk_fusion_cta_horizontal() {\n    ob_start();\n    ?>\n    <style>\n        .cta-section-horizontal {\n            background: #ddd; \/* Much lighter grey background *\/\n            padding: 12px; \/* Adjusted padding *\/\n            border-radius: 8px;\n            box-shadow: 0 3px 5px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);\n            color: #333; \/* Darker text color for better readability *\/\n            display: flex;\n            align-items: center;\n            justify-content: space-between;\n            max-width: 650px; \/* Width adjusted for a more compact look *\/\n            margin: 20px auto;\n            position: relative;\n            flex-wrap: nowrap; \/* Prevent wrapping *\/\n        }\n\n        .cta-section-horizontal img {\n            width: 60px; \/* Slightly larger logo *\/\n            height: auto; \/* Maintain aspect ratio *\/\n            margin-right: 12px; \/* Adjusted spacing *\/\n            background-color: #ddd; \/* Match the background color *\/\n            padding: 6px; \/* Adjusted padding *\/\n            border-radius: 8px; \/* Slightly rounding to match container *\/\n            box-shadow: 0 0 0 4px #ddd; \/* Blend with background *\/\n        }\n\n        .cta-text {\n            flex: 1;\n            margin-right: 12px; \/* Adjusted spacing *\/\n        }\n\n        .cta-title {\n            font-size: 18px; \/* Slightly larger title font size *\/\n            font-weight: bold; \/* Bold title *\/\n            color: #f9a825; \/* Orange color *\/\n            margin-bottom: 4px; \/* Reduced margin *\/\n        }\n\n        .cta-info {\n            display: none; \/* Hide description *\/\n        }\n\n        .cta-buttons {\n            display: flex;\n            gap: 8px; \/* Adjusted button spacing *\/\n            align-items: center;\n        }\n\n        .cta-button {\n            padding: 8px 12px; \/* Button padding *\/\n            font-size: 12px; \/* Smaller font size for buttons *\/\n            font-weight: bold;\n            text-transform: uppercase;\n            border-radius: 4px; \/* Slightly rounded corners *\/\n            border: 2px solid transparent;\n            cursor: pointer;\n            transition: all 0.3s ease;\n            display: inline-flex; \/* Use inline-flex to ensure proper alignment *\/\n            align-items: center; \/* Center align text vertically *\/\n            justify-content: center; \/* Center align text horizontally *\/\n            text-decoration: none !important; \/* Ensure no underlines with !important *\/\n            color: inherit; \/* Use the button's text color *\/\n        }\n\n        .cta-button.white-button {\n            background-color: #fff;\n            color: #333;\n            border: 2px solid #ddd;\n        }\n\n        .cta-button.white-button:hover {\n            background-color: #333;\n            color: #fff;\n            border: 2px solid #f9a825;\n        }\n\n        .cta-button.black-button {\n            background-color: #f9a825;\n            color: #fff;\n            border: 2px solid #f9a825;\n        }\n\n        .cta-button.black-button:hover {\n            background-color: #fff;\n            color: #f9a825;\n            border: 2px solid #fff;\n        }\n    <\/style>\n\n    <div class=\"cta-section-horizontal\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/autodesk-fusion-product-icon-400.png\" alt=\"Autodesk Fusion Logo\">\n        <div class=\"cta-text\">\n            <h1 class=\"cta-title\">Elevate your design and manufacturing processes with Autodesk Fusion<\/h1>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"cta-buttons\">\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/trial-intake-flow\" class=\"cta-button white-button\">Get a 30-Day Free Trial<\/a>\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/extensions\" class=\"cta-button black-button\">See Plans and Pricing<\/a>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <?php\n    return ob_get_clean();\n}\nadd_shortcode('autodesk_fusion_cta_horizontal', 'autodesk_fusion_cta_horizontal');\n?>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"charles-hull-and-3d-printing\">Charles Hull and 3D printing<\/h2>\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though we may think of 3D printing as a relatively recent invention, Hull came up with the idea in 1983 while he was using UV light to harden coatings on a tabletop, patenting the idea in 1986. He described the process, which he coined <a href=\"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/solutions\/stereolithography\">stereolithography<\/a>, as \u201ca method and apparatus for making solid objects by successively printing thin layers of the ultraviolet curable material one on top of the other.\u201d The idea stems from a general <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.industryweek.com\/technology-and-iiot\/article\/21961555\/take-5-qa-with-chuck-hull-cofounder-3d-systems\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">frustration with slow production times<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for small new product designs, and, as for many inventors, came on the heels of hours spent in an empty lab after hours. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter wp-image-12472\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/hull2.png\" alt=\"3d printing\" class=\"wp-image-12472\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/hull2.png 960w, https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/hull2-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/hull2-768x512.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"expanding-additive-manufacturing-technologies\">Expanding additive manufacturing technologies<\/h2>\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The patent outlines a process in which ultraviolet light is beamed onto the surface of a container filled with liquid photopolymer. Under the control of a computer, the beam draws each layer on the surface of the liquid, causing the photopolymer to polymerize and turn to a solid. Using CAD software like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/overview\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Autodesk Fusion<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a computer model is divided into thin layers to be printed one at a time, solidifying the object as the process builds. Hull\u2019s first 3D print job? A simple black eye-wash cup.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just a few years after the patent was filed, Hull opened 3D Systems in Valencia, California and expanded his patents to include non-liquids and further commercialize the process. He received funding from a Canadian investor and produced a commercial product that demonstrated the technology\u2019s viability. Car manufacturers, medical facilities, and aerospace companies were immediately interested. Since then, Hull has continued to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.3dsystems.com\/our-story\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">expand and develop<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> additive manufacturing technologies across the industry. In 2014, he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for his achievements.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"innovation-continues\"><strong>Innovation continues<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite his success, Hull remains humble. In an article for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/business\/2014\/jun\/22\/chuck-hull-father-3d-printing-shaped-technology\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Guardian<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, he describes learning that 3D printing played a role in the successful separation of conjoined twins. &#8220;This is extremely difficult for surgeons, to figure out how they are going to separate the two twins so that you will have two separately living people. When some of those surgeries were first done using the help of our technology, it was really touching for me,&#8221; he said.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hull, now of retirement age, is still working as the chief technology officer at 3D Systems. With software like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/overview\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Autodesk Fusion<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, discover all of the right tools you need to innovate for yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Charles Hull remains one of the most notable inventors, having helped shape the way many industries operate with the introduction of 3D printing. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3034,"featured_media":12471,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"coauthors":[804],"class_list":["post-12470","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fusion","dhig-theme--light"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Meet Charles Hull, Inventor of Stereolithography<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Charles Hull is one of the most notable inventors, having helped shape the way many industries operate with the introduction of 3D printing.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/meet-charles-hull-inventor-of-stereolithography\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Meet Charles Hull, Inventor of Stereolithography\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Charles Hull is one of the most notable inventors, having helped shape the way many industries operate with the introduction of 3D printing.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/meet-charles-hull-inventor-of-stereolithography\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Fusion Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-01-08T23:13:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-07T15:01:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/hull1.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"640\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"336\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Michelle Stone\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@stoneformation\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Michelle Stone\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Meet Charles Hull, Inventor of Stereolithography","description":"Charles Hull is one of the most notable inventors, having helped shape the way many industries operate with the introduction of 3D printing.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/meet-charles-hull-inventor-of-stereolithography\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Meet Charles Hull, Inventor of Stereolithography","og_description":"Charles Hull is one of the most notable inventors, having helped shape the way many industries operate with the introduction of 3D printing.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/meet-charles-hull-inventor-of-stereolithography\/","og_site_name":"Fusion Blog","article_published_time":"2020-01-08T23:13:39+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-08-07T15:01:03+00:00","og_image":[{"width":640,"height":336,"url":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/hull1.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Michelle Stone","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@stoneformation","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Michelle Stone","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/meet-charles-hull-inventor-of-stereolithography\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/meet-charles-hull-inventor-of-stereolithography\/"},"author":{"name":"Michelle Stone","@id":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ff8b4a8deab870b70267efef92600620"},"headline":"Meet Charles Hull, Inventor of Stereolithography","datePublished":"2020-01-08T23:13:39+00:00","dateModified":"2025-08-07T15:01:03+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/meet-charles-hull-inventor-of-stereolithography\/"},"wordCount":491,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/meet-charles-hull-inventor-of-stereolithography\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/hull1.png","articleSection":["Fusion"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/meet-charles-hull-inventor-of-stereolithography\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/meet-charles-hull-inventor-of-stereolithography\/","url":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/meet-charles-hull-inventor-of-stereolithography\/","name":"Meet Charles Hull, Inventor of Stereolithography","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/meet-charles-hull-inventor-of-stereolithography\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/meet-charles-hull-inventor-of-stereolithography\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/hull1.png","datePublished":"2020-01-08T23:13:39+00:00","dateModified":"2025-08-07T15:01:03+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ff8b4a8deab870b70267efef92600620"},"description":"Charles Hull is one of the most notable inventors, having helped shape the way many industries operate with the introduction of 3D printing.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/meet-charles-hull-inventor-of-stereolithography\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/meet-charles-hull-inventor-of-stereolithography\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/meet-charles-hull-inventor-of-stereolithography\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/hull1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/hull1.png","width":640,"height":336},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/meet-charles-hull-inventor-of-stereolithography\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Meet Charles Hull, Inventor of Stereolithography"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/","name":"Fusion Blog","description":"Product updates, tips, tutorials and community news.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ff8b4a8deab870b70267efef92600620","name":"Michelle Stone","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/headshot_full-150x150.jpg4e25b72cc1cf8481b968808cfcda8329","url":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/headshot_full-150x150.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/headshot_full-150x150.jpg","caption":"Michelle Stone"},"description":"Michelle is a program manager for the Manufacturing Cloud Customer Success team at Autodesk.","sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/stoneformation"],"url":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/author\/michelle-stone\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12470","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3034"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12470"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12470\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12470"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=12470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}