If you ever thought it would be great to be a move star just so you could have your own action figure then you are in luck, no Hollywood isn’t offering you a contract to be the next James Bond but you can get a personalized action figure made using a 3D printing service.
Online store Firebox now offer a service where your head, made using 3D printing, can be stuck on to the superhero of your choice: currently Wonder Woman, Superman, The Joker and Bat Man and Bat Girl are available.
These are going to make great gifts as well as items you would love to have for yourself, get one for you and one for your partner and act out some slightly different fantasies.
UK based firebox take your photo and scan it in to add it to a 3D CAD file of a head, the detail though is great and looks a lot better than an image simply printed on to a generic head. This is because the CAD file includes contours for the features of your face and for your hair. The CAD file is then sent to a full color 3D printer; 3D printing can produce any shape and a very lifelike head is then printed ready to be put on to the super hero of your choice.
As the 3D printing creates a head with a standard fitting for almost any action figure you can of course put the head on to any action figure you can find as the head doesn’t need to be permanently affixed.
This use of 3D printers perhaps shows a glimpse of just what a future 3D printing has for bespoke products. The offering from Firebox can be shipped to the US and costs $126 but people will pay this and there are hundreds of other products that could benefit from the same technology and the same demand from people who want something different and bespoke: not least when buying people gifts.
The gift industry itself has perhaps been suffering from a lack of innovation lately and it is often those who come up with the most unique ideas that have succeeded. Personalized greetings cards have taken the market by storm and gift items such as ornaments and toys may be about to do the same.
The process of creating a 3D printout is actually quite fast for something small like a head and so you could even buy a product in a store as well as online: though there maybe something like a one hour collection time. Of course in store offerings also allow for the potential of 3D scanning to be used.
3D printing isn’t what’s expensive either it is more the initial outlay for the printer but this is quickly coming down with several entry level printers now available that are well within the realms of what a bank may be able to lend a business who want to use 3D printing.