3d printed clothes 3d printed fashion fashion tech

Toys made other toys, the Rosetta Stone met the scanner, kids got tricked into eating their veggies, and custom 3D printed fashion went on sale online, all this week in 3D printing.

Big Toy Is Not Thrilled About Your Desktop 3D Printer

Oh, the irony. Cheap desktop 3D printers, which are, for the most part, good for making low-resolution plastic toys, and are about the cost of toys, and, to people like us who work with industrial 3D printers, kind of ARE toys, are causing some discomfort among traditional toy manufacturers. Surely you must be thinking, “But, the more toys the merrier, right?” Well, as researchers from Michigan Technological University discovered, and QZ reported, “DIY 3D-printed toys are anywhere from 40%-90% cheaper than buying similar items at retail.” Of course, that could mean spending several hours to print a single Lego block, and kids do go preeeeetty crazy for That One Branded Franchise Toy every year. I think Mattel is safe — for now.

From Priceless Artifact to Pricey Print

The Rosetta Stone, inscribed in 196 BCE, unlocked the ancient lost language of heiroglyphs after it was discovered in 1799. It only took us 218 more years to 3D scan it, and now, it can be yours in 3D printed form. It’s pretty big, however, so think twice before printing it in a precious metal. And if you do, please, please send pics.

Rosetta Stone
by The British Museum
on Sketchfab

Somehow, We Saw This Coming

In the most predictable series of events ever recorded, a group of children was tricked into eating a healthy mix of veggies that had been pureed and extruded into cute little shapes. As The Sunday Times reported, “This snack was based on ingredients that are sources of iron, calcium and vitamin D. Some of these are not appreciated by children, but in the shape of an octopus [it’s different].” No news on whether or not the food was delivered on airplane-shaped spoons.

Cutting Edge in Every Conceivable Way

Not to brag (OK, yeah, I’m bragging), but we’ve been printing Nervous System’s spectacular Kinematics Dress since its creation, and watching it come out of the powder after printing is still my number 1 Best Thing to See Happen. However, it’s not the sort of thing you can just order online (yet). So, props to Israeli designer Danit Peleg for being the first to put an adorable custom-fitted 3D printed bomber jacket for sale online. Fashionista brought us the story of the sustainable, fashionable, innovative jacket that uses another innovation — an app called Nettelo — to virtually size those who can drop $1,500 to click “Buy” on this masterpiece. I’ll just print some money first.