The 3D Printing Video We Always Wanted

Coverage of 3D printing by mass media has almost always been, well, horrible. 

Reporters would emphasize the spectacular and speculative, and miss the actual state of affairs. Countless reports told of outrageous possibilities using this new magic technology. 

At the height of this several years ago, such reporting was encouraged by those running several major 3D printer manufacturing firms at the time. They wished to capitalize on the “3D printing fever” that erupted and sell equipment directly to consumers in vast numbers. Some even suggested having 3D printers in “every room in your home”. 

Somehow, unbelievably, this effect still occurs with multiple mass media outlets. I am repeatedly dismayed when I see contemporary reports suggesting that “3D printing is for every consumer”, or “3D printing is dead”. Sometimes I get frustrated enough that I write a story about it.

Today I’d like to do the opposite. I’ve found a mass media report on 3D printing that is actually sensible, accurate and inspiring. 

Prepared by VICE, the 12 minute report, entitled “Printing Tomorrow”, properly portrays the current activities of several of today’s leading 3D printing companies, including Relativity Space, Desktop Metal, Formlabs and others. 

VICE quickly explains the ill-fated consumer scenario that virtually no other mass media report has done, by interviewing Formlabs Founder and CEO Max Lobovsky, who says: 

“There was a lot of excitement at the beginning of this desktop 3D printing wave, that 3D printers will be in all of our homes. But it’s proven to be a lot further off than everyone hoped for.”

I strongly encourage you to watch this video as a reader of Fabbaloo. If you’ve been reading our stories, you’ll be familiar with everything that’s being said by VICE, and perhaps even be pleased it’s being said to the wider world. 

Perhaps the world will eventually understand 3D printing as well as we do. 

Via YouTube