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Tuesday
Jan172012

The Society for Printable Geography

There have been many attempts to print landscapes with 3D printers, but here's a whole service dedicated to that pursuit: The Society for Printable Geography. While it's called a "society" it's actually a specialized 3D print service. The Society uses the Shapeways 3D print service to produce its attractive items. 
 
They have a huge selection of countries to choose from, each having its particular terrain included in the 3D model. In other words, the prints include the mountains - but the actual height is wildly exaggerated since a true scale elevation would be almost perfectly flat. Trust us, it's better this way.
 
Their tagline is "3D terrain pendants of all countries of the world. Available in silver, gold or bronze finish, stainless steel or colored polymer." Typically you'd print a country of your choice in a metal and then use it as jewelry in some way. 
 
But what is the cost of these items? Here's some examples:
 
  • 3.5cm wide "USA" in silver: USD$56
  • 3.5cm tall "Germany" in glossy gold: USD$33
  • 1.6cm wide "North Korea" earrings in red plastic: USD$10
  • and so on...
 
Check out their collection at the link below.