Photo App Developer Publishes Designs for 3D Printed Photo Frames

Since 2006, independent software designer Mark S. Morris has been working on PhotoUpLink® for various platforms, first for Mac and Windows then for iPhone, allowing multiple photos to be conveniently uploaded by iPhone users to Tumblr photosets, Facebook albums, FTP sites and email attachments.

Morris has added to his repertoire by creating a 3D printed picture frame. Called the PhotoUpLink Picture Frame, users can download the files and print it themselves to serve as frames for their favorite photographs The PhotoUpLink Picture Frame is an answer for those who are always looking for that perfect picture frame to store their most memorable photographs – now both the frame and photo can be printed at home.

The picture frame will hold one wallet size 3” x 2” photo print. This frame size is built for compatibility with most 3D printers for personal use, and has been extensively tested to be home 3D printable with ABS, PLA and even wood FDM filament types. The frame files include desk stands for landscape or portrait photo orientation, and it 3D prints with rear holes for wall hanging.

The PhotoUpLink Picture Frame is a free download available now on MakerBot Thingiverse. The frame can also be purchased with no logo on Cubify as a 3D print in a variety of materials including color plastics, ceramics, sandstone or metals, then shipped to your door.

You can view photos of the 3D printed frame on Flickr.

The frame will take about an hour to print, each stand about 30 minutes at 50 – 70% fill. A higher fill percentage makes a sturdy frame with a good base weight. The stand slot is designed to be a tight fit, you may need to trim and manually finish the print. Wallet size photo prints are easily home printed or ordered online.

A roundup of the top news On 3D Printing brought you from December 11 to December 16.

Via Behance.net.

Here are the top 10 most popular stories On 3D Printing brought you in October 2012.

10. New Plan for Manufacturing Jobs in EU: Invest Heavily in 3D Printing

9. Will Amazon Adopt 3D Printing to Improve Manufacturing?

8. Video: Broad Horizons for 3D Printing – RepRap, MakerBot, and Beyond

7. 3D Printed Bioscope: New Design Reinvents the Old Film Camera

6. Oops-Ed: TechCrunch Writer Says Consumers Don’t Need 3D Printers

5. MakerBot Presents Groundbreaking 3D Masterpieces at the 3D Print Show

4. Physical DRM: New Patent Issued to Protect Piracy in 3D Printing

3. Objet Showcases Exquisite 3D Printing Applications at the 3D Print Show

2. Video: See All of the Exhibits at the 3D Print Show in London!

1. 3D Printing Gun Debate Heats Up Again: Wiki Weapon and ATF

Thanks for reading in October!

Bill Gates photo by MATEUS_27:24&25 used under Creative Commons license.

Inspired by an early movie projector of the same name, the Bioscope is a medium to experience memories in relative time. It consists of a hand-held device, to be viewed with one eye, resembling an old film camera.

Simon de Bakker and Jon Stam, who designed and 3D printed their ‘Bioscope’ at i.materialise are pushing the boundaries of photography, film and technology. The Bioscope is a digital movie viewer in the shape of a Fisherprice camera.

Designers often use 3D printing for accessories and interior design, but there is another market that reaches 3D printing more and more: the one with digital gadgets like the Bioscope: you look with your eye through the ‘lens’ and then, by moving the red button forward or backward you can see your home movie frame by frame which creates a very retro like effect.

The Magical Experience – Interview with Jon Stam

“For this project, I wanted to recreate the magical experience of those old projectors but adjusted to our modern times by using movies on USB sticks. The Bioscope is interactive and allows the user to move through time with the turn of the crank. Moving forward and backward, as fast as slow as you want. You’re invited to pause at your favorite moments and reflect. This way people get manual control over digital information and it allows them to transform every viewing into something entirely new and personal.”

3D Printing and the Bioscope

Through traditional manufacturing it was hard to bring this idea to life, so Jon Stam and Simon de Bakker decided to try 3D printing: “We were thinking about how we could take old technology and adapt it for the modern world. Going to the traditional manufacturing route of making a mold and going into full production was not only too expensive, but it also made it impossible to customize the Bioscopes the way we wanted.”

“Luckily, there is 3D Printing. By using this technology, we could create the bioscope digitally and together with i.materialise, repair any errors in the file and find the best material and printing technique to bring the bioscope to life in polyamide. Quickly and affordably. Plus, when I am not completely satisfied with how the bioscope feels – not a problem. I change the digital file, contact i.materialise, and presto…a new and improved Bioscope!”

The Bioscope will be showcased at the 3D Print Show in London this weekend from the 19th until the 21st of October.

Below is a video of the Bioscope project.