3D Printing Will Not Be In The Home…For Now

Much has been made of the relative ease of 3D printing. For ~$2,000 and some lightweight software, one can dive headfirst into the world of printing iPhone covers, Star Trek figures and a massive bust of your grandmother. But this assumes a lot, particularly the belief that 3D printing provides utility, not just “wow” factor. For now, most consumers view it as just that, printing novelty items that satiate their thirst for personalization but are more of a one-off than an embedded behavior. All of this points to 3D printing shops, either as add-on services in the case of UPS or Staples or as standalone specialty shops like the one Oakland shop featured in Make.