No, they’re not shutting down; rather they are expanding by now offering a new hi-res black color for your 3D prints. The busy 3D print service has added this new color just in time for the Halloween object printing season. (Side note: is there a “halloween printing season”? Hmm.) According to the press release:
Black Detail (Objet) is the latest of the detail materials already offered by Shapeways and their cost-effective, DIY printing service. Other additional materials include White Strong & Flexible (SLS), Cream Robust (FDM), White Detail and Transparent Detail (Objet). Simply upload a new or existing three dimensional mode in STL, Collada or X3D, to Shapeways, and the custom produced model will arrive in just a few short days, globally.
“Our community has spoken, and we have listened,” commented Jochem de Boer, CMO of Shapeways. “The Black Detail material enhances the complexity and ingenuity with which creative individuals can bring their imagination to life.”
Shapeways.com helps users import and modify designs made by popular 3D modeling software; currently accepted formats include STL, Collada, X3D. The Shapeways service quickly checks and provides feedback whether the object can be made and provides a real-time cost estimate (average cost is $50-$150). Users can easily optimize the production cost of their design before they order by selecting the desired material and size. Within ten working days, the tangible product will be produced and delivered to the user globally. Currently, the objects can be created in White Strong & Flexible (SLS), Cream Robust (FDM), Black Detail, White Detail and Transparent Detail (Objet); color and additional materials will soon follow.
Via Shapeways