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These companies have also begun to offer
training so you can learn to use their tools.
Ponoko offers online training classes, aimed
at beginners, that are free to watch and par-
ticipate in. Shapeways offers Skillshare
classes to teach introductory skills as well as
more complex, generative software.
parts, for example, can be more fragile than
a similar injection-molded piece. And, im-
portantly, not all of these materials are food-
safe or suitable for use in toys. While these
disadvantages may discourage you, keep in
mind that this amazing technology wasn't
available to the public even five years ago,
and it's developing very quickly.
If you have an idea you'd like to bring to life,
there's no better time to see what may come
from it. Check out “3D Products Now on the
Market” on page 151 to see see how all kinds
of makers are taking advantage of 3D print-
ing services, Chapter 11 for where to have
them made, and Chapter 9 for a rundown of
available materials.
Sending your work off to 3D printing services
has many advantages over using equally
popular desktop 3D printers. You won't have
the up front investment of $300 to $2,000,
and you won't spend time tinkering with set-
tings and hardware. You also can create more
complex and higher-resolution objects, as
desktop 3D printing still doesn't match the
quality of professional machines.
The technology does come with its disad-
vantages. As this is a rapidly growing field,
sometimes the demand is greater than the
capabilities of these companies, and unex-
pected delays in lead times arise. The quality
of materials isn't always as good as a similar
mass-produced piece; 3D-printed plastic
Colleen Jordan is a designer and maker who
likes to create objects that make life more
interesting. She is the founder of Wearable
Planter , and dreams of one day having a pet
dinosaur.
 
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