It’s a Three-Dimensional World

Building a Business

Whether it’s cultivating massive brands with hundreds of locations around the world, local startups with a single retail space or makers who have ideas but are still looking to break into retail, the fact remains that 3D printing is the proverbial next frontier. It is going to change the way printers, brands and consumers all think about the elements that go into a retail space, creating enticing reasons to walk through the door.

Wide-format print providers need to start embracing 3D technology sooner rather than later as it can prove to be a very strong differentiator for their business. “By investing in the technology, or establishing a relationship with someone who has it, they can begin to have those conversations with customers,” Sykes says. “They can start addressing that need, and see what the difference is; the level of conversation they can have with the customers. It gives them a better opportunity to service those needs.”

Lawson compares it to when digital signage first started hitting the market and traditional printers had to find a way to compete with a sign that could be updated on the fly, with graphics changing as needed. Printers had to find ways to show their value, and he says 3D printing is another aspect of that. Finding ways to bring 3D elements to 2D printing is going to allow printers to bring pieces and retail environments to life. “I think it’s getting designers educated,” he says, “and getting the visual team to think in a different way.”

But, Lawson notes, the hard work of essentially building a brand new business from the ground up can pay big dividends for shops willing to take the plunge.

“Our 3D printer came in February, so we’re still new to the market,” Lawson says, “but we have done tremendous R&D. Our client base is heavy retail, with companies like Elle brands and Victoria Secret. We met with our customers, they toured with us, we’ve done some renderings, and then done some spec work.” This has resulted in projects like a throne of French fries for a Burger King trade show.

The possibilities of what 3D printing can do for printers and retail brands alike is still in its infancy, which makes for an exciting time to jump in, as those who adopt today will be the leaders of tomorrow, shaping the way the entire industry approaches the technology.

“Having come from most of my experience being at sheetfed commercial houses to grand-format digital, the 3D is unlike any style of printed media I’ve ever dealt with,” Lawson says. “I think the technology is so new, and we’re so on the cutting edge of it. It’s hard to imagine what the next step is going to look like, but I think 3D will far surpass what we end up doing in traditional print media.”