A heater arrangement for an apparatus for layer-by-layer formation of a three-dimensional object by the consolidation of particulate matter, the heater arrangement having a heater arrangement area, and comprising: one or more shrouded
radiative heating elements, arranged over the heater arrangement area, the shrouded
radiative heating elements being operable to heat particulate matter at a build
bed surface of said apparatus to a desired temperature profile; and one or more
radiation-restricting shrouds, which are arranged in communication with the shrouded
radiative heating elements, and each of which form one or more passages for restricting the
solid angle over which
radiation is emitted by the shrouded radiative elements, each passage having a first end which opens towards at least one of said shrouded radiative heating elements, and a second end which opens to the exterior. Also provided is apparatus for layer-by-layer formation of a three-dimensional object by the consolidation of particulate matter, the apparatus comprising: a
working space having opposing bottom and top sides; a build
bed surface on said bottom side of the
working space and upon which successive
layers of said object are formed, the build
bed surface comprising a printable area; and a heater arrangement area on said top side of the
working space and comprising a plurality of spaced-apart radiative heating elements arranged on said top side of the working space, the radiative heating elements being operable to heat particulate matter at the build bed surface to a desired temperature profile; wherein said plurality of spaced-apart radiative heating elements comprises a first group of four or more radiative heating elements; and wherein, as viewed from said top side of the working space, said first group of four or more spaced-apart heating elements is arranged beyond and around the perimeter of printable area and within the heater arrangement area.