Entrepreneur

What 3-D Printing Could Mean for Small Businesses

How the additive manufacturing trend could help you grow your business.
Source: Photography by Ben Alsop
In formation: The olloclip lens and Shapeways products.
In formation: The olloclip lens and Shapeways products.
PhotoŠ Ben Alsop

A ball. A cup. A gear. Even an electric car. 3-D printers can't print money, but they can produce prototypes for almost anything else. And as prices for the desktop devices drop, entrepreneurs are seeing them kick out something more: tangible business results.

3-D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, uses technology born of paper printing. But rather than outputting two-dimensional renderings,

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