On 3D Printing Holiday Gift Guide 2013

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Well the holidays are fast approaching and if you are like me, you are still deciding on what to give a loved one who likes really cool gadgets and technology.

Here is the On 3D Printing Holiday Gift Guide 2013. Hope it helps!

MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer

Buy at Amazon or at MakerBot for $1,999+ (save $200 this holiday)

The Replicator 2 has almost become the standard for desktop 3D printers. While there are many competitors, it is the highest-selling 3D printer and one of the first to be easy enough to use in the home rather than the workshop.

Along with the Replicator 2 3D printer, you can also buy MakerCare (a support plan), and spools of PLA filament of different colors, even glow in the dark!

MakerBot is running a $200 off holiday promotion on this popular 3D printer and Amazon has matched that price.

Other 3D Printers

Besides the MakerBot, we recommend:

• Ultimaker 2 - $2,600
• The Form 1 by Formlabs – $3,299 (pre-order)
• Buccaneer by Pirate3D – $597 (pre-order)
• Robox - $1,141 (Kickstarter)
• UP! Plus 2 - $1,611
• Afinia 3D Printer H-Series – $1,399

3D Scanners

To get good designs, you need a 3D scanner, and there are a lot that launched this year.

• 3D Systems launched the Sense handheld 3D scanner for $399
• Structure.io completed a successful Kickstarter campaign for a 3D scanning iPad add-on
• Radiant Fabrication offers an all-in-one 3D scanner and 3D printer
• Fuel3D launched a successful Kickstarter campaign for its $1,000 handheld 3D scanner
• And MakerBot launched its own desktop 3D scanner called the MakerBot Digitizer, for $1,400

3Doodler 3D Printing Pen

Pre-order for $99 from 3Doodler, or buy a competing product on Amazon.

3Doodler was a Kickstarter darling that raised $1.8M from 20,000 backers. Instead of using a desktop 3D printer to create your own physical objects, how about a pen?

The 3Doodler 3D printing pen lets you literally draw in mid-air. The plastic (ABS or PLA) is extruded in a continuous flow and dries quickly enough to give the object you create strength to stand on its own. While this concept veers from traditional 3D printing, it can be a very fun hobby at home.

Gift Cards to 3D Printing Marketplaces

Perhaps you don’t know what to get, so how about a gift card? All of the major 3D printing marketplaces are offering gift cards of various denominations.

Ponoko is a digital design file exchange and host a Personal Factory API. Check out their holiday gift guide on Pinterest.

Buy gift vouchers at Ponoko

Shapeways is one of the leading 3D printing marketplaces, curating designs from a wide variety of artisans. They have geek gifts, fashion gifts, and foodie gifts, to name a few. Check out their own gift guide to find more ideas.

Buy gift cards at Shapeways

You can also check out other marketplaces like Sculpteo, i.materialise, and CGTrader for more gift ideas.

Personalized Figurines, Cufflinks, and Jewelry

For a real personal gift, check out Mixee Labs, who offers web-based creator software to design your own jewelry, cufflinks, or mini-me figurines.

See the gallery below for inspiration, then buy at Mixee Labs.

3D Printed Toys

3D printing is changing the face of toys. One of the companies we like the best is Modibot, designer of a 3D printable system of interlocking parts that lets you build your own fantastical creatures and characters.

After completing a successful Kickstarter campaign, the company began selling these 3D printed toys and unique accessories.

And if you really want to be innovative in the toys area, buy a 3D printer and try to do what geek dad Golan Levin did: creating a rosetta stone for all toys. Levin created a master connector that could attach LEGOs to Lincoln Logs, or K’NEX to Krinkles.

You can download his free universal connection kit and 3D print these ideas for yourself.

There you have it. That’s our list! We’ve checked it twice.

Whatever you decide to buy, please make it a 3D printing holiday this year!

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