Again in December, Shapeways took a necessary step on our journey house — buying Thangs. At the moment marks the following milestone: an early entry launch of our new Print on Demand (PoD) characteristic on Thangs, powered by Shapeways’ world-class manufacturing engine.
This launch is deliberately restricted in order that we are able to optimize the onboarding expertise within the coming quarter. We’ll increase rapidly primarily based on designer suggestions. You may see dozens of wonderful designs with the choice to print straight from Thangs right here.
The journey house
Earlier than we acquired Thangs we had been clear in our plan:
- Step One: Buying Thangs. The Thangs platform affords nice discoverability, strong IP protections, and a dynamic market. This was a strong basis on which to construct, with essential enhancements over the previous Shapeways Retailers setting.
- Step Two (At the moment): Early Entry Launch of Print on Demand, beginning with a choose group of designers, with handbook onboarding to make sure high quality and stability.
- Step Three (Quickly): Self-service Print on Demand, enabling all designers to promote printed variations of their creations globally.
- Step 4 (Future): Enhancing the Shapeways Store expertise utilizing trendy applied sciences to thrill customers and designers alike— automated, seamless, and accessible to all pre-approved designers. Signal Up Right here
Marleen Vogelaar: “We’re actually joyful to be launching the Print on Demand characteristic inside Thangs already and make good on the ambitions we had from the very begin of the journey. We’re at all times aware that the progress we wish to see will take time, and we attempt to place our clients first whereas driving developments forwards. This preliminary iteration of the Print on Demand button lets us show out the system, be taught from the implementation and be sure that we efficiently attain the final word aim for this a part of the journey: to convey again the complete Shapeways Store expertise and strengthen the Thangs neighborhood by providing further means to monetize on their designs and merchandise.”
Our dedication to creators
We genuinely consider the long run belongs to creators. Area of interest is turning into mainstream! Thangs embraces this shift in market focus by empowering designers to supply easy accessibility to each digital and bodily product gross sales with out worrying about stock, manufacturing, invoices, success and extra. Thangs additionally affords a vibrant market that actively showcases creators’ distinctive choices, enhancing discoverability and permitting creators to succeed in a considerable, educated viewers. Take a look at this beautiful vase from Lofted Items!
MCM Vase by Lofted Items
Shapeways as a producing engine for Thangs
Thangs is the place creators will join straight with clients. Shapeways gives the important infrastructure behind the scenes, making certain distinctive high quality and scalability that lets creators do what they actually wish to do… create.
Skilled applied sciences reminiscent of selective laser sintering (SLS), multi jet fusion (MJF) and metallic casting require a stage of funding, infrastructure and experience meaning creators have little to no entry. With Shapeways performing because the manufacturing engine behind the scenes, creators can instantly provide merchandise and elements in a complete vary of polymer and metals supplies and finishes — and have entry to new applied sciences added by Shapeways routinely.
Moreover, our industry-leading manufacturing requirements are trusted by companies worldwide, so creators may be assured that the elements their clients obtain can be proven the identical love and a focus as the unique design.
The subsequent steps
This restricted launch affords a tantalising glimpse at what’s to come back. Within the subsequent phases of improvement, we can be transitioning from handbook onboarding to computerized approval and onboarding for all eligible designers. We’ll additionally see the reintroduction of the complete Shapeways Retailers expertise via Thangs with enhanced IP safety options and discoverability via its 3D mannequin search engine.
We may have ongoing dialogue with our Store Proprietor Council to ensure that creators form the way forward for this market and can be working with the group to verify the Print on Demand characteristic serves creators and their clients alike. We’re very proud of the progress to this point — and there’s lots extra to come back!
Former Shapeways Store house owners can reconnect by becoming a member of our waitlist immediately.
Try what’s already out there to print on demand right here.Subscribe to the e-newsletter to remain updated with the newest developments right here.
