Be a "cool" hunter ...

So, I'm still working on figuring out personal 3D printing practicality, as in, will it really evolve into some sort of macro trend, like cell phones did, or not (think: personal fax machines). Check out this great PBS newshour article about coolhunting and trending and how these days using social media and crowd sourcing, marketers spot new stuff that isn't going to go away quickly. Frugeois!

So, in my quest to figure out how to add actual printing to my next 3D design class, I contacted Staples. From my last post, I'd dug up information on their website touting how they have in-store 3D ecosystems at their Williamsburg and Falls Church locations. I spoke with a representative over the phone from the Williamsburg store. Turns out, they do not have in-store printing capabilities; they outsource the actual printing to an external vendor. And the minimum cost to print a project is $150; ouch on 2 levels. First, the cost. Secondly, I don't see this as a practical approach to actually teaching you much, as in, what if you design something that isn't optimally printable. Does the vendor coach you in any way or just go ahead and print the mess, regardless? So, the search continues to find an affordable consumer 3D printing option that includes local contacts with gatekeeping services (think: gives you feedback if your 3D file submission isn't going to give you a quality print output).