The increasing functionalities and close integration of hardware and software of modern cyber-physical systems present users with distinct challenges in applying and, especially, appropriating those systems within their practices. Existing approaches to design for appropriation and the development of sociable technologies that might support users seeking to understand how to make such technologies work in a specific practice, often lack appropriate user interfaces to explain the internal and environment-related behavior of a technology. By taking the example of 3D printing, we examine how augmented reality can be used as a novel human–machine interface to ease the way for hardware-related appropriation support. Within this paper we designed, implemented and evaluated a prototype called PrintARface, that extends a physical 3D printer by incorporating virtual components. Reflections upon the evaluation of our prototype are used to provide insights that foster the development of hardware-related appropriation support by encompassing augmented reality-based human–machine interfaces.