3d Printing

[Deathsandwich]

Hello,

This is my first post I have been on this one for a bit and I love the community but I need a bit of help, I recently started my own company where we take care of advertising and printing Artists work for them, some of the other things we provide are monthly jam sessions and also sit downs to discuss new techniques and advice for getting into the industry. Link to website is below in my signature.

Well one of the things I have been throwing around in my mind with my business partner is the idea of 3d printing, The idea is you can join the site and sell in life model replica's of your 3d work. I want to be able to help the 3d artist gain money also. To be totally honest I have seen some 3d work I wouldn't mind having on my desk as a statuette the only problem is it is an expensive process.

The machine itself can print up to a 15" Maquette but that would be very expensive most likely around "$800 - $1000 for the consumer. The machine I am looking into will fabricate and also paint the Maquette so you wouldn't be getting just a blank 3d Maquette it would be painted fully.

My question to you is what is the most you think you would pay for a 9" replica of your favorite 3D Artists concept or even your own?

[tonytrout]

Personally $100 -$200 for something I did that I wanted printed -maybe stretch to $300 for a painted version but I'd have to really like it. For bulk volume production for onsale 40% discount. Once printed though I suppose you can make a mould and have them mass produced for a fraction of the price. If I was buying someone elses work it would be like buying any 'art'. For a single original I would pay lots, for limited copies less, for mass produced not so much. If you are posting internationally freight can be pretty high too. Good luck :)

[Deathsandwich]

Tony, Thank you very much for your opinion, yeah that is the general consensus I am running into, also it seems the 3d market has never really been marketed too in an ability to sell your work either.

Think about a site you can go too and upload your work and make a profit off of it in a graphic sense and a maquette sense. Yeah I mean there is selling base models to companies looking to pick up rights. But imagine you becoming your own mini store.. your art is making a living for you. And not only that we find you freelance work too. These are all things we are trying to bring together for artists. All issues that me and my Co-founder, as artists ourselves, have run into.

Baron

[Infinite]

I would say be really be careful. Do your research, visit the resellers and distributes of the hardware. Even try and visit some shops that use them effectively.

You need to have experience dealing with the post processing of the final prints, they are never perfect. No 3D Printer is going to just pump out a perfect clean model. They need work. Also it's not a cheap industry to get into :D

Also if you want to run a service, you will need a solid infrastructure, help, staff good customer service etc

Interested to hear more about your journey if you go down that road.

[Deathsandwich]

Infinite - Thank you sir, I have gotten some great feedback about the Idea, I think the hardest part is it is so new no one really knows what to think about it. But as stated before I want to be able to market 3d artists and their skills to the general public.

I have a business already I am looking to expand into the 3d realm for representing artists, check out my website if you want to learn more. Thank you very much for the advice.

Baron