The 3D Printer Experience

I tried to go in. The door was locked. A person came out and said they were by appointment only yet the place looked empty. It was an uncomfortable experience so I’ll go somewhere else next time instead.

The new store at 333 N. LaSalle is even nicer than the old location. 3DPX is the only retail location in the US that has an EOS laser sintering machine and it was perfect for the job I needed done. Their modelers knew exactly how to take my idea and turn it into a the right 3D file. My dream came to life !! Thanks 3D Printer Experience!

After seeing the 3D Printer Experience shop across from my office on LaSalle St. in Chicago, I stopped in one day on a whim to ask about getting a full body scan and print. I was 8.5 months pregnant at the time, and I thought a 3D print would be a neat way to commemorate my pregnancy and would also make a nice gift for my husband’s birthday. I spoke to Grace at the front desk, who was exceedingly friendly and helpful. She let me wander around the shop and told me all about 3D printing and their different printing capabilities. I explained what I was thinking for a print of myself and Grace worked with their designers to come up with a proposal for a full-​body SLS print that was exactly what I had in mind. The process of getting scanned in 3D was easy, and only took a few minutes. The team was flexible and easy to work with in scheduling my scanning appointment, which was very helpful when Chicago weather interrupted my first appointment. After getting scanned, Grace kept in contact with me about the progress of my print, and was able to complete my print within just a few days and in time for my husband’s birthday. The print itself turned out beautifully — I have a perfect, highly detailed little sculpture of my very pregnant self which will always remind me of this special time. Overall, I had an excellent experience with the 3D Printer Experience and will definitely use them again for future 3D prints.

This place is the best. I could not have had my prototype build because of cost without this place. The staff is extremely helpful. Highly recommend going especially for designers and inventors

I know very little about 3D printing, but I needed about 20 awards for a company event and talked to these guys, who were very accommodating about pulling something together for me quickly.
Creativity would get 5 stars, execution probably 2 or 3. I only rated this a 2 because I felt that anything less than a stellar product wasn’t really worth the price.
I had a fairly detailed 3D product — but the smaller text (particularly the recessed text) was extremely poor (or very inconsistent at best). When I picked the products up, the guy told me that a dishwasher would get all the «dust out of the recessed text», but when I got them back to the office, I can see that many of the recessed characters weren’t recessed at all — they were never cut in. He did give me a discount because of the «dishwasher thing» — but these things are flawed period, and the final product doesn’t match expectation, and look very poor/​sloppy.
Disappointed that I spent even what I did on a product that is supposed to be highly detailed at a «reasonable» price. Reasonable price is debatable, and I would have no qualms about the price if the product were perfect — but it is far from that.
I guess my cautionary tale is to use extreme caution with anything requiring large amounts of detail (especially text). The visual on their computer screen may not look like the final product (or at least their machines/​process cannot consistently produce this level of detail).

This shop opened a few weeks ago and I can’t stop telling people about it. A whole store dedicated to the art and technology of 3D printers. They have 3 different printer models on demonstration in the store, the well known Makerbot Replicator, the Up Mini, and a very high end expensive unit (EOS Formiga P110) that prints high resolution art-​quality pieces.
They sell various 3d pieces printed from the machines … the nylon printed art they have is really unique and cool. They also have computer terminals where you can design a pendant and they will then print that out. If you have a part or piece you want replicated, you can bring it in and have that done.
Ever wanted to stand on a platform, be spun in a circle and scanned by a sensor that creates a 3d digital model of yourself, then prints out a bust of your head? For $ 24 (and up for bigger sizes), you can do that here.
Want to take a printer home? The Up Mini 3D Printer for $ 999. For the price it’s a great model /​value. And it’s in stock with no waiting list. They sold 3d printers before Staples, and theirs is less expensive!
The guys that work there are enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the topic… it’s a store but also a low pressure introduction to the concept.
This store is an original – you won’t find it anywhere else (yet). It’s awesome. Take a friend, take a tourist, take mom.
(psst, they have a coupon for free 2 hour parking in their parking lot on their web site)