Again in December, Shapeways took a vital step on our journey residence — buying Thangs. Immediately 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 are going to increase shortly based mostly on designer suggestions. You may see dozens of fantastic designs with the choice to print instantly from Thangs right here.
The journey residence
Earlier than we acquired Thangs we have been clear in our plan:
- Step One: Buying Thangs. The Thangs platform presents 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 (Immediately): 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 completely happy 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 need 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, study from the implementation and make sure that we efficiently attain the last word objective for this a part of the journey: to deliver 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 presents 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 instantly with clients. Shapeways gives the important infrastructure behind the scenes, guaranteeing distinctive high quality and scalability that lets creators do what they actually need to do… create.
Skilled applied sciences resembling 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 performing because the manufacturing engine behind the scenes, creators can instantly supply merchandise and components 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 components their clients obtain shall be proven the identical love and a spotlight as the unique design.
The subsequent steps
This restricted launch presents a tantalising glimpse at what’s to come back. Within the subsequent phases of growth, we shall be transitioning from guide onboarding to automated 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 could have ongoing dialogue with our Store Proprietor Council to make it possible for creators form the way forward for this market and shall be working with the group to verify the Print on Demand characteristic serves creators and their clients alike. We’re very pleased with the progress to this point — and there’s loads extra to come back!
Former Shapeways Store house owners can reconnect by becoming a member of our waitlist right now.
Take a look at 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.
