How one mall is turning 3D-printed selfies into big business
With the holidays quickly approaching, I'm sure you're trying to come up with the perfect gifts for your friends, family, and co-workers. How about an exact 4-inch replica of yourself? Worried that it sounds too difficult? All you have to do is go to the mall where Me 3D can turn your selfie into a figurine that will last forever.
Located in the Mall of America, Me 3D is in the business of turning photographs into three-dimensional objects. Shoppers simply come in, have their picture taken, and wait for their replicas to be printed. CTC Inc., the company behind Me 3D, has worked on residential and commercial projects to make lifelike models of buildings. They saw commercial 3D printing as the next logical step for their business.
The labor-intensive art uses 89 digital cameras to photograph the subject, and multiple software tools to assemble the digital images for the 3-D printers. The figurines are made from gypsum powder, and a technician inspects and retouches each model before coating the figure in a glue that sets the color and preserves the shape.
About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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