Staples has announced a new service called “Staples Easy 3D” that will allow European customers to upload designs to the Staples website, and then pick up the printed objects at a local store or have them shipped. This is the first time that 3D printing is being offered to the mass market from a chain retailer.
Staples has partnered with Mcor Technologies to provide the service, and is using Mcor’s Iris printers, which cut, print, and glue together reams of paper into 3D designs. The resulting object has a wood-like hardness and the printers can incorporate photorealistic coloring. This development further blurs the line between designer and consumer, and represents a significant step towards a DIY manufacturing revolution.
