Each year at Shapeways, we like to do a roundup of amazing accomplishments in the rapidly evolving 3D Printing world — often powered by the innovations and creativity of our community. We’ve been digging in and must admit, 2013 was quite the year! To date, we’ve 3D Printed 2.2 million products — that’s 61,000 boxes worth of Tic Tacs! We are so proud to have 13,500 Shapeways shops...and counting (a growth of 75% from 2012). And the number of people creating products on Shapeways has doubled in the past year. The 3D printing industry as a whole has also experienced incredible growth. We’re seeing more retailers, like our friends at UPS, offer in-store 3D printing. The price of 3D printers for the home and office continues to drop. And 3D printing is constantly making stock market headlines. Basically, this incredible technology is shaping industries far and wide—from healthcare and electronics to aerospace and home construction. And we’ll continue to see this impact in the coming years. The industry couldn’t make such strides without wildly imaginative, creative, thoughtful, and fearless people like the ones in our community, who continue to upload nearly 100,000 new products per month. Our community helps us push the limits of what’s possible to 3D Print, creating products from gorgeous to quirky to functional, and continue to wow us with how they use new materials. It’s a beautiful world when anyone can create and get what they want, not just what’s available in stores. Check out our Slideshare for 3D printing trends, stats & more of our exciting year in review.

1. 2013
3D PRINTING
YEAR IN REVIEW
SHAPING THE FUTURE

2. 3D Printing for Everyone
Now more than ever, 3D printing enables anyone to take
an idea and turn it into a physical reality.
It’s changing how products are made and by whom.
Here’s how...

3. Anyone Can Create
Free Tools + Access to Dozens of Materials
= Creativity Unlocked
50%
+
Shapeways Shop Owners are
self-taught 3D modelers
100%
Growth in number of people
creating products

4. ...Even a 12 Year Old!
“Proof that @shapeways
is for everyone: I’m a 12 yr
old designer, and made
my own iPod case with
#3DPrinters” - @iPhonical
“I had many ideas of what I would do if I could make anything. Who wouldn’t
want a life size toy giraffe? As I thought about it, I realized, I don’t. I wanted
something I would use every day. Something that would be helpful and useful
in my everyday life. I thought, What do I use every day?
Then I realized: Who doesn’t use their iPhone every day? How about their iPod?
At that point, I had my mind set.”
- BRENDAN CHANG, 12-YEAR-OLD SHAPIE

5. But You Don’t Have to Know How to
3D Model
Because of growing apps and businesses that help people
turn ideas into 3D designs into reality.
Here are some examples...

6. Collaborations Help
Dreams Come True
Shapeways member, Alexander
worked with designer and 3D
modeler Glenn Slingsby to make his
daughter’s birthday wish come true:
Building an interactive, 1/12 scale,
true-to-life Nautilus ship from
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

7. Say Hello to the Future
“Garage Entrepreneur”
More and more, individuals are
starting businesses on Shapeways
13.5k
Shapeways shops, a 75% growth from 2012
— one for every yellow cab in NYC
84%
Shapeways Shop Owners want selling on
Shapeways to be their full-time job
It costs us no more than a few bad dates to
bring a product to market.
- GOTHAMSMITH

8. They’re as Diverse as
Queens, NYC*
Shop Owners range from teenage
hobbyists to engineers with 25+
years modeling expertise.
ORNAMENTS
by Maundy
RINGS
by Azzodesign
3D JEWELRY
by sorhain
CHESS SET
by Collective 3D
* Queens, NYC is known as one of the most diverse places in the world + we have
a factory there!

9. TUNISIA
And Have Access to
an Even More Global
Marketplace
Shapeways has amazing customers
in 113 countries.
220%
CHINA
196%
Top Growth Countries
(2012 vs 2013)
LUXEMBOURG
Top Countries
170%
United States, Netherlands,
United Kingdom, Germany,
Switzerland, Canada, France,
Australia, and Italy
TAIWAN
152%

10. Jewelry 13%
Miniatures 23%
Art 17%
With 3D Printing, Niche
is the New Normal
Shapeways products span a wide
range of interests.
Other 4%
Home 15%
Games & Toys 11%
Parts & Gadgets 17%

11. From the Long Tail, to
the Infinite Tail...
JEBEDIAH KERMAN OF THE
KERBAL SPACE PROGRAM
Limitless possibilities of 3D printing
means every passion can be served.
MODEL TRAINS
DRONE ACCESSORIES
EDUCATIONAL ART
ANCIENT FLUTES

12. Including Wade’s Wish
to Be a Superhero
July 2013
Fearless 6-year-old Wade Sharp, who
has brittle bone disease, wanted to
see how video games are made and
to become a video game character.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation
responded.
After spending an afternoon at
Robot Entertainment, Wade received
a 3D Printed figurine of himself,
Wade the Super-Master!

13. 3D Printing is Helping
People Go from Prototype to Market — Fast
BitWise’s KeyBit, a key ring Mac
adapter holder, “would not exist
without 3D printing.”
3D printing has given him freedom to
• Iterate design and materials quickly.
• Produce high quality details at small scale.
• 3D print in steel, the material used for both his
prototype and final product.
Entrepreneurs like Jonathan use 3D
printing to quickly prototype (and
Shapeways to open up shops).
“The product went from idea to the printer in
a single morning before work, and 3 weeks
later I had a product for myself and to share
around the world.”
- JONATHAN BOBROW, FOUNDER, BITWISE

14. The Technology is Shaping Countless Industries
ELECTRONICS
HEALTHCARE
Working Loudspeaker
First Steps Taken
by Cornell University Lab’s Fab@Homes 3D printers
by Researchers to 3D Print Human Organs
AEROSPACE
CONSTRUCTION
GE Aviation to use 3D printing to
produce a fuel nozzle
Contour Crafting entire 2500 square
foot homes

15. Even in High Fashion
All Printed by Shapeways
Dita Von Teese’s Custom 3D Printed Dress
Designed by Michael Schmidt & Francis Bitonti
Victoria’s Secret Snow Angel Lindsay
Ellingson in 3D Printed Lingerie
Designed by Bradley Rothenberg
Kimberly Ovitz Jewelry
Designed by Kimberly Ovitz

16. Material Innovation >>
Unlimited Creation.
No way! You can 3D print in steel
and coat it in polished gold?
And in ceramic!?
40
Materials and finishes available as of 2013
ANDROMEDA NECKLACE
by Summerized
KLEIN BOTTLE OPENER
by Bathsheba
UNSTOPPABLE T-REX
by Ryan Kittleson

17. Better Quality, Lower Costs
Compare the cost of a Shapeways 3D
Printed iPhone case:
$70
In 2008
$20
Today

18. Complexity is Free
The “unmakeable” is now possible
Espresso Cups
Nautilus Mobius
Mobile
by KSpaho
by jaobaldwin
by Marco Mahler and Henry Segerman
Have you tried weaving ceramic before?
It’s hard. Real hard.
A mobius, especially an interlocking one,
cannot be manufactured any other way.
Made of 1,365 pieces, this would take a lot
of time and patience to assemble.

19. A “memingful” Year
Memes continue to become reality.
Doge
by Ryan Kittleson
Grumpy Cat
by edrice
Unstoppable T-Rex
by Ryan Kittleson
Obama Riding Raptor
by kspaho
Ornamant: Twerk
by Kimotion
Jesus Meme
by LincolnK
Twerking Einstein
by Ryan Kittleson
Cat Gasp
by pc_gamedev_rules
Feel Like a Sir
by Ewoud
Success Kid
by Ryan Kittleson

20. Shapeways 2013 Numbers
2,200,000 total
products printed to
date = 61,000 boxes
of Tic Tacs.
100,000 new
products uploaded
per month (> total
consumer 3D printers
sold in all of 2013*)
13,500 Shapeways
shops — one for
every yellow cab in
NYC.
* According to Gartner’s “Forecast: 3D Printers,
Worldwide, 2013”
204,000 yards
of tape/year to
ship boxes to 113
countries, enough
to circle the earth 5
times.
45 football fields
of floor space
squeegeed annually
to clean up powder at
our factories.
10: the number of
times every model
is handled by
Shapeways staff.

21. Thank you to the Shapeways community
that’s made this all possible so far.
We can’t wait to spend 2014 with you!
For Press Inquiries: www.shapeways.com/contact