Pinshape’s Official 2017 Holiday Gift Guide
For friends and family, deciding on a gift for makers can be challenging given the number of different product offerings. For makers, it can also be tricky to navigate through the top new products and accessories of the year. In this guide, we’ll be showing you the top printers, materials, and accessories to gift this holiday season.
3D Printers
For those with higher budgets, gifting a 3D printer is a great way to make a big impression and enable your maker for years to come. In this section, you’ll discover the top product offerings in two different price categories, over $1000 and under $1000.
Over $1000
The Formlabs Form 2 is in a league of its own in regards to print quality and reliability. Capable of competing with significantly more costly machines, the Formlabs Form 2 comes with everything you need to get printing as well as a long history of great support and new material offerings.
Ultimaker introduced the newest upgrade in their product lineup this year, the Ultimaker 3. Featuring a unique dual-extrusion setup and a suite of other upgrades, the Ultimaker 3 is at the top of its class for FDM printing.
Under $1000
The Prusa i3 MK3 comes with a number of upgrades compared to its predecessor including improved electronics, a stronger extruder, and a removable heated bed. This is especially impressive considering its predecessor, the Prusa i3 MK2, is the top rated product on the 3D Printer Pages!
The Monoprice Select Mini is an impressively functional printer given its low price tag at just $220, and it includes a heated build plate and metal hotend. This is a great machine to gift to those just starting out and is capable of producing quality prints when well-tuned.
Materials
Proto-pasta Aromatic Coffee HTPLA
Coffee consumption seems to be a required component of maker culture and this Aromatic Coffee filament by Proto-pasta serves to combine the two. This material is based on their High Temperature PLA formula and is impressively functional as well as aesthetically and olfactorily exceptional.
For those with SLA printers, Formlabs Resin is always a great gift idea. The new Color Kit material, which allows you to print in an infinite number of colors, just launched and would make for a great gift!
For the 21 and up makers, 3D-fuel’s Buzzed Beer Filament makes for a great option. This material uses the waste byproducts of beer production to yield a filament that’s impressively strong and easy to work with.
Accessories
BuildTak is a great option for increasing the adhesion of 3D printer build plates and removing the need for adhesives like hair spray or glue. They offer a number of options including a flexible plate so that you can choose the best product for your application. Many makers also opt for a more budget friendly sheet of PEI instead of BuildTak.
Calipers are integral for verifying 3D printer tolerances and are an essential tool for any makers working on mechanical designs. There are hundreds of different options but many agree that Harbor Freight’s calipers are a steal for the price.
That’s all for this year! The Pinshape Team hopes you enjoy this holiday season and check out the Top 8 Holiday Designs of 2017 to find ideas for gifts to print.
