Editor’s Note
This article highlights the rapid growth of the 3D printing market, projected to more than double from 2025 to 2030. Key drivers include demand for personalization, improved technology, and material innovation.
The global 3D printing market is projected to reach $16.16 billion in 2025 and more than double, to $35.79 billion, by 2030. The market is booming because of three key developments: rising demand for personalized products, increasingly affordable and precise printer technology, and expanded printing materials beyond plastic.
Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)
This is the most accessible and beginner-friendly type of 3D printing that works by melting plastic filament and layering it into shapes. FDM printers are affordable, easy to maintain, and great for getting started—especially if you’re printing tools, figurines, packaging prototypes, or general-use products.
Stereolithography (SLA)
SLA printers use liquid resin cured by a UV laser. You get smoother surfaces and higher precision than FDM. They’re slightly more expensive and require more post-processing, but they’re ideal for niches where detail matters—like tabletop gaming, fine jewelry, or cosmetic prototypes.
Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
SLS uses a laser to fuse powdered material (usually nylon) into solid objects. It doesn’t need support structures like FDM or SLA, which means more complex shapes are possible. This is great for batch production of durable parts in industries like automotive, aerospace, or robotics.
Metal 3D Printing (DMLS/SLM)
Direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) and selective laser melting (SLM) are similar to SLS, but they use metal powder instead of plastic. These printers are expensive and require a serious setup, but if you’re in a niche like aerospace tooling, medical implants, or automotive components, they provide high-margin opportunities.
Multi Jet Fusion (MJF)
MJF is a powder-based system like SLS, but faster and more consistent. It’s often used in enterprise settings to create strong, functional prototypes and end-use parts with better surface finishes. Think medical tools, custom enclosures, or sports equipment.
1. Prototyping
3D printers can create functional prototypes of products you intend to manufacture; that way, you can evaluate structural and visual qualities before spending on production.
2. Custom Jewelry
This is an excellent example: a jewelry startup from Estonia that raised millions in 2022. It specializes in turning client sketches into finished pieces using 3D modeling and printing, offering everything from resin prototypes to castable wax and direct metal prints.
3. Fashion and Footwear
Fashion companies are already using 3D printing to produce shoes, reduce waste, shorten lead times, and test radical design ideas before mass manufacturing. You can also lean on newer, more sustainable printable materials to compete with traditional, resource-hungry methods.
4. Education and Training
Explore hands-on workshops, beginner kits, school-friendly lesson plans, or one-on-one training for hobbyists and small business owners. You could teach CAD basics, printer setup, slicing software, post-processing, or even niche techniques like resin care or filament troubleshooting.
5. Sustainable Homeware
6. Props and Costumes
Film studios use 3D printing to fabricate armor plates and weapons, indie theater groups lean on it for affordable set pieces, and cosplayers print wearable parts that actually fit their bodies.
7. Marketing and Branded Merchandise
You can offer custom logo signage for shop counters, miniature replicas of signature products for pop-ups, branded packaging accessories, or low-volume giveaways that a traditional manufacturer would never take on because the order size is “too small.”
At its core, a 3D printing business uses additive manufacturing to create physical objects from digital files, layer by layer. The result is a manufacturing model that rewards speed, specificity, and smart niche plays. To start, consider your niche and ask: What gear do I need to serve them? (an FDM printer might be enough for toys; jewelry casting requires resin).
