Whether it be a small part to fix something, or to personalise your next Barbie doll with your mother-in-law’s head, 3D printing is becoming more and more viable for consumer use.

For design shops it will make the logistics costs of getting widgets to people very simple. You download the plans, print and you have the object.

The NYTimes tells of the Desktop Factory which is specifically aimed at low cost 3D printing. I suspect that there will be a market for the ad hoc 3D printing needs and perhaps post offices .. or camera print shops will fill this void.

Perspective: Consumer generated widgets, designs that are looking to find a way to distribute to a global audience will find this exciting and printable material technology is changing all the time. Perhaps Barbie could outsource their next design to your mother-in-law?