3D Printing

As my final (I think) follow up to my lectures for my Contextual Studies Project, I'm looking at 3D Printing. The lecture was on the future of design and the variety of technologies that are currently available, but aren't yet commercially viable to consumers at the minute.


The name '3D Printing' can kind of confuse the idea of what is actually involved. Where we would associate printing with paper and inks, 3D printing is the process of making three dimensional solid objects from a digital file (thank you Wikipedia).

Basically, the invention of 3D printing opens up doors to things we can't even think about yet. Imagine you've broken a hinge on a door, get in touch with the manufacturer, they email you a file, you print the hinge, and fix your door, thats what is possible. 3D printing splits objects up into thin horizontal layers which it then prints on top of each other to create the object. I've only seen objects created in this polymer type substance, but apparently they can print in ceramics, metal and glass. The substance the printer prints in, is made up of a powder and a 'binder', which I guess, solidifies the material.


How 3D Printing will affect Graphic Design specifically, I can't quite begin to work out what impact it will have, but on Design as a whole, it looks like it will completely wipe out the idea of a product being 'in transit' from one country to another, and the idea that you can print your own iPod or a PS3 with legs, from your living room, somewhere down the line, pretty much changes everything. I hope this made some sense.


References: popupcity.net