Here’s a quick guide to some of the most amazing materials you can design and 3D print with right now.

Frosted Detail Plastic

If you’re looking for the most accurate 3D printing material, one of the best options is frosted detail plastic. We use a multi-jet process, printing and curing each layer one at a time to create high-definition designs that are perfect for model trains, miniature figures, and other small objects.

Frosted detail plastic comes in Ultra and Extreme Detail options—the latter is best for incredibly detailed features like engravings. Both versions of the material can also be painted over easily for a splash of color.

HP Nylon Plastic

We use a top of the line HP Jet Fusion 3D 4200 to print strong and functional objects out of nylon plastic. It’s perfect for phone cases, camera mounts, and drone parts, but it’s also smooth enough to make jewelry, toys, and home decor.

Nylon plastic is also cheap to print, and comes in black or gray. If you’re designing with it, keep in mind that stiff, thicker objects are less likely to warp. Smaller details will also show up more clearly in black.

Aluminum

This is the only metal material other than steel that we can directly print (rather than 3D printing wax and creating a mold). Aluminum’s strength makes it an ideal choice for mechanical and other load bearing parts.  Additionally, Aluminum is perfect for bike accessories and other products that will be exposed to the environment due its high corrosion resistance. It’s not cheap to print, but it’s still not as expensive as other metal materials like gold.

If you’re designing in aluminum, remember that sharp edges on your object could get rounded down. The material also isn’t accurate enough for complex interacting parts like screws and nuts, though it does support interlocking parts.

Full Color Sandstone

If you want a multi-colored object, Sandstone is the way to go. It’s a fantastic full-color 3D printing material and it’s pretty cheap too, making it the perfect choice for figurines and lifelike models.

Shapeways special printing process for Sandstone involves creating one layer of color at a time.The finished product will look amazing on your desk or up on a shelf, though it’s too brittle to be handled on a regular basis.

Gold and Platinum

Finally, we come to precious metals. Yes, you can create gold objects with Shapeways in either 14 karat (gold, rose gold, or white gold) or an extra vibrant 18k gold option. For truly special objects, you can also choose to 3D print in platinum.

The process involves 3D printing a wax model which is used to create a plaster mold.  The plaster mold is used to pour and cast the material, and it works for platinum too. It’s perfect for creating small rings, earrings and other jewelry. Of course, gold and platinum don’t come cheap, but if you’re looking to create an extra special piece of jewelry, this is a great way to do it.

Try it Now

The post 6 Incredible Materials You Can 3D Print in Now appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Printing a New World

This is not a 3D printer, but one day, it will have 3D printer friends

Pioneering USC engineer Behrokh Khoshnevis told NBC how he’s working with NASA to use found materials on Mars to create 3D printed homes, machines, infrastructure… basically anything humans need to choose that Martian lifestyle. That means technologies like 3D-printing method Contour Crafting (CC), which Khoshnevis used to print a 2,500-square-foot building in less than a day — back in 2004. Our post-Earth future is looking up. Now, if we can just figure out how to get to TRAPPIST-1.

Trump Should Check This Out

ABC brought us the touching story of a woman whose upcoming wedding compelled her to address her thinning hair. Thankfully, a high-tech hairpiece created using 3D printing saved the wedding day. The result is so realistic, our hairdo-in-chief should probably know about this (please, someone tell him).

It’s definitely more realistic than this

Sunglasses, Sports, Mullets

In the search for the perfect-looking pair of sunglasses, it’s often impossible to find a pair that actually, literally fit your face. Not “too big or too small for my face shape” but rather “don’t dig into my cheeks, fall off easily, or squeeze my head oddly.” Guess what can help? 3D printing! Skelmet (they originally planned to make bike helmets) takes scans of your head and face and creates custom frames to your specific measurements, as TechCrunch reported. However, as they also noted, these frames are strictly sporty, so you’ll either end up looking like Lance Armstrong or Dog the Bounty Hunter, depending on your hair length.

Skelmet’s scanning-for-sunglasses app in use

Pump Up the Jams

Geeky Gadgets got a little less geeky this week when they pulled a DJ move, showing us how to mix vintage knobs and switches,  3D printed parts, and an Arduino to create a smart MIDI controller. Recycled, digitized, and made with 3D printing? Pump it up.

The MIDI controller of your 3D printed dreams

The post The Week in 3D Printing appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Franklin’s a beloved local celebrity. He’s often mobbed by fans, and his 2.4k Instagram followers are increasing their ranks every day.

The team had an amazing time hanging out with Franklin and his dad while we scanned both of them at once. Keeping Franklin still was surprisingly easy while he had some pig food to eat, but he also liked to wag his little tail and lift his head to check out what we were doing.

Despite being famous, Franklin was great to work with. Some of the challenges we encountered were the typical obstacles involved in working outside (meh lighting and spotty wi-fi) and trying to capture a scan of the leash between Joe and Franklin. We captured a few scans of the two of them standing near each other, but it was tricky capturing the two of them both in still poses. All things considered, we managed to snag some decent scans and are hoping to mesh a few scans together.

Sad you missed it? No worries! You can still catch the adventure (and questionable pig puns) here! What else would you like to see us attempt to 3D scan? Let us know in the comments!

The post We 3D Scanned a Famous Brooklyn Pig — And It Was Oinkredible appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Replicate precious heirlooms. Recreate two-million-year-old hominids from fossils. Model George Washington’s face from his death mask, in breathtaking detail. NextEngine’s 3D Laser Scanner inspires and enables new possibilities. We’re excited to announce a new partnership that transforms richly detailed objects into accurate 3D prints, seamlessly.

Starting today, NextEngine scans not only create a 3D model file, they also link directly to Shapeways. NextEngine’s ScanStudio app now has Shapeways built in – once you finish your scan, just click the Shapeways button to upload directly to your Shapeways account.

“NextEngine is thrilled to partner with Shapeways’ leading 3D print platform to bring ultra high precision 3D laser scanning to the designer community, at remarkably low cost,” said Brad Bryker, NextEngine’s VP of Business Development. “Now designers worldwide can share exquisitely accurate and detailed scans of their original creations, and just click to print them in high-quality materials on Shapeways.” See the video below for how a spaniel dog figurine was recreated, right down to the lines in the fur.

NextEngine’s 3D Scanner is the most affordable, high-precision laser scanner available. It captures objects smaller than an acorn, and larger than a seven-foot statue. A robotic motion stage is included, to do full 360-degree capture automatically, so the scanner does the work for you. It even includes a tripod mount to capture stationary objects like stone building reliefs. And powerful software is included, standard.

All this means that you can produce high-quality, precisely detailed 3D models, all in less than an hour, automatically. These model files are much more accurate than other low-cost devices, and turn complex organic shapes into beautifully detailed 3D prints.

Your NextEngine scanner can also be used to market services to other designers, artists, archeologists, anthropologists, architects, scientists and more. Shapeways community member Sophie Barret-Kahn created her own thriving scanning business.

And, right now there’s a special promotion to celebrate this new partnership. Get a NextEngine 3D Scanner, and you’ll get a $300 credit toward any upgrade of your choice. Just enter promo code “Shapeways”.

And to make the deal even sweeter, Shapeways will give you 20% off your first print order once you register your device. Order now – this promo ends in November.

What do you want to scan? Share your vision in the comments.

The post NextEngine Ultra HD 3D Scanner – Now Click-to-Print on Shapeways appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Keep reading for a rundown of how you can join the fun at Dutch Design Week.

Visitors to Shapeways’ Eindhoven factory during Dutch Design Week 2015

Shapeways EXPO | Shapeways Factory | Oct. 22-30

Every day, we’ll be inviting visitors into our factory to explore how our community of independent designers is using Shapeways to break new ground in product design. We’ll also be offering:

• A 3D scanning booth to bring more fans into the world of 3D Selfies. (11 a.m. – 4 p.m. daily)

• Community Workshops and Presentations to connect visitors with Dutch designers and the products they’ve brought to life with Shapeways. (1 p.m. – 3 p.m. daily)

• Factory Tours that provide a rare glimpse into how files are turned into finished products. (10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. weekdays; registration required)

A winning design from our 2015 Helsinki Design Week CHIL-DISH Project

Shapeways Presents: CHIL-DISH Project | Yksi Expo | Oct. 22-23

After our successful event with CHIL-DISH at Helsinki Design Week, we’re partnering up again to unleash kids’ creativity at DDW. At the CHIL-DISH Project:

• Kids will be invited to reimagine everyday objects using paper and crayons.

• We’ll then choose 10 designs to be 3D modeled by CHIL-DISH designers, turning the kids’ drawings into 3D printed porcelain objects. (11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Oct. 22-23)

Wired Life Tiger by Shapeways Designer Dot San, on display in our Eindhoven factory

Shapeways Presents: Community & Materials Exhibit | Yksi Expo | Oct. 24-28

• Come explore some of the materials we use and check out how our designers are exploring these unique and versatile media. (Oct. 24-28, 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.)

A group of 3D Selfies

Shapeways Presents: 3D Scanning | Yksi Expo | Oct. 29-30

• Don’t miss your chance to get scanned for a 3D Selfie.

• We’ll take a scan of your head and shoulders using Occipital’s Structure Sensor and an iPad. Then, you can easily order your mini likeness through Shapeways. (Oct. 29-30, 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.)

If you make it to Dutch Design Week, be sure to come to one of our events and say hello! And if you can’t make it, keep an eye on the the blog, where we’ll be highlighting talented Dutch Shapeways Designers throughout the week.

The post Shapeways at Dutch Design Week 2016 appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

In our new Scanning Stories series, Shapeways’ 3D Scan Engineers Brigitte and Astrid will share tips and tricks to help you make the most of 3D scanning.

Selfies are as old as photography itself. But lately, miniature clone-like 3D printed figurines — better known as 3D Selfies — are taking the world by storm. People are always amazed to see themselves or their loved ones appear in miniature for the first time. But, actually making one of these figurines can be tricky, so we (Brigitte and Astrid, Shapeways 3D Scan Engineers) are here to show you around the world of 3D scanning and 3D Selfies, and share our knowledge about this new industry.

First, let’s get back to basics. Think about where you want to start. Would you like to be 3D scanned or would you like to start your own 3D scanning business?

GET SCANNED!

If you want to be 3D scanned, you can visit one of our certified 3D scanning retail partners, all listed at this link. Get it touch with one of them and make an appointment.

Make sure to wear a colorful, fun outfit that you’ll feel great immortalizing yourself in. You can also bring an object that represents your hobby. This enables a 3D Selfie to capture your personality, making it truly a miniature you.

Once the file is created, your scan will be sent to Shapeways, and you’ll get an email prompting you to choose a material, then purchase your own miniature 3D Selfie.

GET SCANNING!

As members of the scanning team, we will focus more on the scanning itself in the Scanning Stories series. To help you get comfortable with 3D scanning, we’ll be posting blogs in the coming months to provide inspiration for your own scanning business.

Over the course of scanning hundreds of people, we came across a few recurring hurdles. Here are some of the things we will go over in this series:

• The best software to use for scanning and/or editing

• Do I buy expensive software, or use freeware?

• How to create the highest-quality selfies and edit colors, shapes, etc.

• How to share selfies with my customers

• Materials

• Scanning events we participate in

• The future of 3D scanning

• And lots more!

When you want to start your own 3D scanning business, it only takes a few small investments. Buy a handheld 3D scanner and software, research the market, and go!

Tips for using handheld scanners:

At the moment, we use the Occipital handheld scanner. This device is very easy to set up and quite user-friendly. We also use software (Skanect) that works well with the occipital sensor. It has an upload link to the Shapeways site, so your scan can immediately go from scan to product. Both the software and the scanner are accessibly priced.

Visit this link for more information about the handheld scanners we use.

We’ve made a workflow for you with all the settings and best practices while scanning with the occipital sensor and the skanect software. You can find this workflow here.

If you’d like a more guided approach, here is a series of video tutorials you can follow:

Skanect Tutorials

In our next installment, we’ll talk more about how to improve your scans after scanning. And if you have a subject in mind that we should address in a future Scanning Stories post, please get in touch.

In the meantime, enjoy the amazing world of 3D Selfies!

The post Scanning Stories: 3D Selfies Are All Around You… and They’re Amazing appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Earlier this year we announced that we partnered with multiple locations in the Netherlands to offer 3D scanning to everyone, and today we’re excited to announce that anyone in New York will be able to get scanned on Friday, November 27th and Saturday, November 28th at Pixel Academy locations in Brooklyn and Manhattan. For this special weekend, anyone can be scanned for free and will have the chance to purchase their very own 3D selfie on Shapeways.

Pixel Academy is a company that enables students to learn 21st-century in a relaxed environment through workshops, camps and more. They offer a unique learning experience for kids and teens and utilize a project-based approach encourages exploration and creativity with cutting-edge technologies – like 3D printing!

We’re thrilled to be partnering with a company that is committed to educating students about emerging technologies and giving them the hands on experience it takes to learn. Offering 3D scanning means students (and their families and friends) can take their learnings further and see themselves come to life through 3D printing. With this partnership, Shapeways and Pixel Academy are taking selfies out of your phones and into your hands!

The scanning process will be done using Skanect, a 3D scanning software made by our partners Occipital. Without their innovation, we would not be able to offer these 3D selfies for so many people. Because the software is so simple to use and set up, anyone can get started quickly and efficiently. The subjects being scanned will just need to hold a pose for 1-2 minutes, and the scanner does the rest! It’s a fun activity for kids and adults of any age and, just in time for the holidays, these prints will make for amazing gifts.

Scanning is open to the public and will make for a fun after-Thanksgiving activity for families in New York. After this first weekend, Pixel Academy will be offering scanning through December at their Brooklyn location every weekday from 1-2 p.m. and 6:30-7:30 p.m. Their Upper East Side location will offer scanning every Thursday and Friday from 6-7 p.m.

Drop-ins are welcome on the 27th and 28th, but you can reserve your spot and make an appointment.

Find out more about scanning here.

The post Get your 3D Selfies from Pixel Academy appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

And if you want a brain on your desk and you don’t care whose it is, you can order a 3D model of my brain here.

INSPIRATION

I have a deep fascination of the human brain and I’ve wanted a 3D model of my brain for quite some time. I considered using a modeling software (like Blender) to create my own 3D brain model based on my MRI scans, but I quickly abandoned that idea when I imagined manually outlining the cortex one slice at a time.

A few months ago, one of my friends posted a link to a company that sells custom brain models that range from $165.00 (for half scale models) to $342.00 (for full scale models). I was tempted to order a model, but I finally decided that it was too expensive. I love brains, but not quite that much.

Then, a few weeks ago, I came across this blog post that included do-it-yourself instructions for creating a 3D model of your brain for 3D printing. The neuroscientist and cheapskate in me rejoiced. My computer was being serviced so I bookmarked the page and waited until I got my laptop back.

When I finally sat down to follow the tutorial, I found that it left out some crucial steps and required a lot of manual editing. I spent a few hours looking at other tutorials, downloading software packages, and trying to create a halfway decent 3D model, but none of the models I created had anywhere near the level of detail I wanted.

Finally, I found this tutorial which describes how to create a 3D model using Freesurfer. I had been wanting to learn how to use Freesurfer for awhile, so it was a win/win. The tutorial is pretty thorough, but it didn’t explain the installation of Freesurfer, which ended up being somewhat complicated. In case you’re like me and haven’t used Freesurfer before, I added detailed information about how to download and install Freesurfer below. If you already use Freesurfer, you are in luck! You are only a few steps away to creating your own 3D brain model (you can skip to the “Create the 3D brain model” section).

GET YOUR BRAIN SCANNED

1. First, you need to get a T1 anatomical scan of your brain with MRI. I understand that that’s easier said than done, but there’s no way around it.
2. Add all of your DICOM files from the T1 anatomical scan into one folder. My folder is named “t1_mprage_DICOM.”

DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL FREESURFER
If you already have Freesurfer installed, skip to the next section. 

1. Download Freesurfer here. I downloaded the freesurfer-Darwin-lion-stable-pub-v5.3.0.dmg file.
2. If you don’t already have XQuartz installed, you’ll have to download and install it in order to use Freesurfer. Download the latest release here.
3. Install Freesurfer by following the detailed instructions here. You should come to a screen that looks like this:

In order to get everything set up correctly, you have to modify two files (the first time I tried to install Freesurfer I didn’t read this this page (oops), and I ran into trouble later on). Your computer may be set up differently, so these steps may not apply to you.

The post How To Make A 3D-Print Of Your Brain appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

The playful project to send Karlie Kloss around the world as a 3D print is another example of the fashion world recognizing the value of 3D printing, even if it is not to make a garment or an accessory.  With projects like the Dita Von Teese Gown and the Victoria’s Secret Angel Wings, we worked with designers to push the current 3D Printing materials to the absolute limits.  This project is a more lighthearted step in the direction of exploring how 3D scanning and 3D printing can be used to document a person, object or place, to then explore the form in 3 dimensions, to print as is, or to modify and/or enhance.

The american supermodel was 3D scanned in a number of classic outfits, and playful poses by Direct Dimensions’ 20 foot diameter booth with over 100 cameras firing simultaneously to capture the raw data to 3D print.  3D technicians then painstakingly prepared the 3D point clouds so that Shapeways could 3D print the 6 inch high figurines in our Full Color Sandstone material in our New York factory, you can see footage of the print process in the video below..

The 3D prints were then sent to exotic locations around the world to be photographed by fashion photographers in each locale, you may see a few on instagram with the hastag #whereskarlie.

For more images of Karlie in the wild, check out the gallery on vouge.com along with the article on the project and a behind the scenes look at the 3D scanning process.

The post Karlie Kloss and her Epic 3D Printing Fashion Journey with Vogue appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

The super simple app guides you through a photo based ear and face scanning process to configure the headphones to exactly meet your ear shape.  This is possibly the first 3D printing apps designed to make functional products, not a figurine or toy, a major step towards the ubiquity of 3D printing to power customized products.

There are already over 10 million 3D printed hearing aids in the world, now with apps such as Normal, we can expect to see more customized consumer products hit the market.

Speaking of Quirky, check out the video below and download the app to customize your earphones now.

The post 3D Printing Custom Headphones is Normal appeared first on Shapeways Blog.