3D Printing for everyone

As seen in history, printing has shown it’s own way of making change in the society. From woodblock printing to the development of the printing press and so on. 3D printing has been around for quite sometime now. The difference between the first models and the ones today is the availability and accessibility. 3D printers would only be found in manufacturing factories in big scales that required a long process. Today, 3D printing has been made available for commercial purposes for anyone to use as easy as writing on a piece of paper.

3Doodler is a 3D printing pen that changed 3D printing in society by making it available for anyone and everyone. It is easy to use and is a good way to let your creativity go wild while having fun with all the different colors they offer.

Below is a video of the world’s first 3D printing pen:

 

3Doodler started as a Kickstarter project back in 2013. Now, it has an online storefront where you can order your own unit, plastics and other accessories.

visit online store here: http://the3doodler.com/store/

In the website, you can also find a community of 3D artists sending their own works of art, showing the world how they make use of their 3D artwork. By showcasing their projects, they are giving access to funding or selling their work through an online setup.

Some of the projects include home decor especially for the Christmas season

icon2

Project by Cornelia in CRAFT (view project here: http://the3doodler.com/stencils/snowflake/)

Others use them to create fan art

DSC_0071-icons1

Project by Community in Design (View project here: http://the3doodler.com/stencils/bb-08/)

And some use them as accessories to other everyday objects

Mixed-Symbols

Project by Community in Decorate (view project here: http://the3doodler.com/stencils/badges-symbols/)

 

3D printing is now very commercialized with 3D printers available in affordable prices for consumer use. Printers can be connected to your home desktop for your own use. Retail price ranges from $249-$5000 for home use. Usual manufacturing printers cost more, up to almost a million dollars per unit.

This is a link to give you a picture of how easy it is to own a 3D printer at home: http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/affordable-3d-printer/

The process of 3D printing using a desktop 3D printer doesn’t take much, as well. But this might be more appropriate for those who are familiar with 3D programs. Before you will be able to print your piece, you must first model it using any 3D program you are familiar with.

 

The link below will show what 3D printing really is and the processes behind it: http://3dprinting.com/what-is-3d-printing/

As you can see, there are many factors to consider before you can print a perfect piece using a printer. The 3Doodler has more control and literal translation than that of a desktop 3D printer because of the structure inside a piece.

Do not Fret!

For those who are not very familiar with all the processes and complications that come with 3D printing but still want to print their own pieces, Shapeways is the company for you.

Shapeways is a 3D printing service and marketplace company in New York where you can easily send your 3D model designs and place an order for them to create your piece and make sure it is in its best shape. They exist to serve you and your design, as a designer or even as just someone with an idea.

 

3D printing has evolved much from where it started. It has adapted to the wants and needs of this generation by coming up with different ways of utilizing it. These are only a few of the simple ways an average person can use 3D printing. The groundbreaking technologies are now of use in the medical, military, educational and other fields. I, on the other hand, do not like to underestimate the power of an “average person”. They often come out as the underdogs when they can easily produce income from the comforts of their own home. 3D printing has affected many sectors in society. As seen in this blog, it has affected even the most untraditional parts of the world like the service industry and stay-at-home individuals.

 

Sources used:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_printing

Leave a comment