The era of 3D printing is upon us, where anything you imagine can be created with the click of a button. So what is 3D printing? In simple terms, 3DP – also known as additive manufacturing – is the process of creating a three-dimensional object from a digital file.

While the majority of 3D-printed objects are made with plastic, the technology has evolved so that objects can now be created with fabric, metal, even food.

For a more in-depth look at the 3D-printing process, watch the video below. And don’t forget to check out the Tiertime UP Mini 3D printer, available for sale now at London Drugs.

In only a few years, 3D printing has gone from a technology with unlimited possibilities but few practical applications to a product that is finally living up to its potential. Below, we take a look at a handful of extremely inventive ways people are using this burgeoning technology.
Becoming Batman

If you’ve ever dreamed of donning the cape and cowl, but lacked Bruce Wayne’s billions and access to military equipment, Julian Checkley and the team at Order 66 Creatures and effects have got you covered. Checkley and co. were able to create the majority of the suit using 3D printing technology, and the costume, which is shockingly realistic looking, was a major hit with cosplay fans. While the suit isn’t crime-fighting ready (the foam and rubber materials won’t stop a punch, let alone a bullet), it is lightweight and comfortable, and can be yours for a little over $8,000.

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Buzz Aldrin’s Spacesuit

In honour of the 50th anniversary of the moon walk in 2019, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum is aiming to “Reboot the Suit” and bring back Neil Armstrong’s spacesuit. The Smithsonian’s very first Kickstarter project aims to “conserve, digitize, and display Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 spacesuit in time for this milestone anniversary,” using 3D printing technology. Part of the conservation process will be a complete 3D scan of the suit and if the project is successful, the Smithsonian plans to share the data from that scan so that non-space travellers can build their very own space suits and recreate the moon landing in the comfort of their living rooms.

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3D Pizza

In keeping with the space theme, mechanical engineer Anjan Contractor won a $125,000 grant to create a 3D printer that could create food for astronauts. In space. And because it is the greatest food known to mankind, Contractor opted to create a printer that makes pizza. The printer uses food “materials” to create the cheese, crust and a protein base, and is able to cook the pizza as it is being made.

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A 3D Printed ear

Kai Sherwood was born without a right ear, but, thanks to this new technology,  the four-year-old has been given the opportunity of a lifetime. Doctors scanned his left earlobe and created a mirror copy from plaster. They then took that mold and crafted a silicone ear that, when attached with a special adhesive, looks almost indistinguishable from the real thing. This is one of the first steps in creating 3D-printed body parts and organs.

Consumers now have easy access to be able to see first-hand the capabilities of 3D printing at their local London Drugs store. The Tiertime UP Mini 3D printer will be on display at 50 stores across Western Canada, marking a turning point where customers can see how these devices can be used in everyday life and not just for the professional user.

“You’ve likely learned about 3D printing from industry publications and seen the plastic-like output on display on your computer screens, now London Drugs is making it easy for customers to see first-hand if this technology is right for them,” said Cedric Tetzel, London Drugs Computers Merchandise Manager.

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Moments Custom Hardcover Coffeetable Photobooks let you print and share your square photos in a square format. The best thing about them is the fact that they are completely customizable, including the cover. In fact, you may find them so appealing that you’ll want to include some of your rectangular photos, but you don’t to disrupt the neat square aesthetic you’ve got going on. Well, here’s the good news: Using London Drugs Photolab Home Edition Software, you can adjust the framing of your rectangular photos to square—without distorting the actual image.

8”x8” Moments Custom Hardcover Coffeetable Photobooks can be pretty much anything you want, because you create them yourself using the Photolab Home Edition software. They’re a great way to display your square photos.

If you’re not at all familiar with the Home Edition software, please refer to this complete step-by-step overview, or check out the online user guide. There are two ways you can adjust your framing, but I’ll start with what I believe is the most foolproof option:

Frame-first:

From the file menu select Insert>New Picture>Portrait (or Landscape) Picture Frame. A blue box—the ‘picture frame’—will appear on the active page.

Click and hold the corner or the midline mark of the dark blue border. You will see gridlines appear. Using these gridlines as a guide, adjust the frame dimension until it’s square. You can adjust the square frame to almost full-page size.

This toucan shot is actually rectangular, but you can easily crop it into a square with the Photolab software.

Once your frame is square, drag and drop your selected image from the image browser into the square frame. You will notice the rectangular image now sits neatly inside it.

If you move your mouse to the centre of the image, then click and hold, you can move the image around while the frame stays locked in place. This way, you control the area of the image that will be visible.

Image-first:

If you choose to select a photo as your background, the software automatically crops it to square for you. (See that warning icon in the turtle photo? That’s the software telling me the image isn’t large enough and may not print well as a result. Just more user-friendliness from the Photolab software!)

The other method, for those of you who fancy yourselves to be freewheelin’ drag-n-drop experts, is to drag the image onto the page in its original rectangular dimensions, then go about adjusting the frame to square as described above in step two. Easier if you’re good at drag-n-drop, or if you happen to be using one of those stylus-tablet contraptions instead of a mouse. Otherwise, I find it tends to be the more imprecise method.

Or, if you want the image to go right to the edges of the page with no border at all (a.k.a. ’full-bleed’ in graphic design jargon), simply drag your image from the image browser onto the page, and when the ‘How to Drop?’ menu appears, select Single Page Background. Note, however, that this method doesn’t allow you to move the image around.

The Photolab Software is designed to be as intuitive and user-friendly as possible. Of course, if you’d nonetheless prefer to have an actual human being help you build the square book of your dreams, stop by your local Photolab where a technician will be happy to show you the ropes.