Again in December, Shapeways took a vital step on our journey house — buying Thangs. In the present day marks the subsequent 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 will optimize the onboarding expertise within the coming quarter. We’ll develop shortly based mostly on designer suggestions. You may see dozens of fantastic 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, sturdy IP protections, and a dynamic market. This was a stable basis on which to construct, with vital enhancements over the previous Shapeways Retailers setting.
- Step Two (In the present day): Early Entry Launch of Print on Demand, beginning with a choose group of designers, with guide 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 fashionable applied sciences to please customers and designers alike— automated, seamless, and accessible to all pre-approved designers. Signal Up Right here
Marleen Vogelaar: “We’re actually comfortable 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 all the time 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 objective for this a part of the journey: to convey again the complete Shapeways Store expertise and strengthen the Thangs group by providing extra means to monetize on their designs and merchandise.”
Our dedication to creators
We genuinely consider the longer term belongs to creators. Area of interest is changing 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 achieve 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 offers the important infrastructure behind the scenes, guaranteeing distinctive high quality and scalability that lets creators do what they actually wish to do… create.
Skilled applied sciences similar to selective laser sintering (SLS), multi jet fusion (MJF) and steel casting require a stage of funding, infrastructure and experience which means creators have little to no entry. With Shapeways appearing because the manufacturing engine behind the scenes, creators can instantly provide merchandise and elements in an entire vary of polymer and metals supplies and finishes — and have entry to new applied sciences added by Shapeways robotically.
Moreover, our industry-leading manufacturing requirements are trusted by companies worldwide, so creators could be assured that the elements their clients obtain shall be proven the identical love and a spotlight as the unique design.
The following steps
This restricted launch affords a tantalising glimpse at what’s to come back. Within the subsequent phases of improvement, we shall be transitioning from guide onboarding to computerized approval and onboarding for all eligible designers. We’ll additionally see the reintroduction of the complete Shapeways Retailers expertise by means of Thangs with enhanced IP safety options and discoverability by means of its 3D mannequin search engine.
We could have ongoing dialogue with our Store Proprietor Council to ensure that creators form the way forward for this market and shall be working with the group to ensure the Print on Demand characteristic serves creators and their clients alike. We’re very pleased with the progress to this point — and there’s lots extra to come back!
Former Shapeways Store homeowners can reconnect by becoming a member of our waitlist right now.
Try what’s already accessible to print on demand right here.Subscribe to the e-newsletter to remain updated with the most recent developments right here.
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