I just published a history book
The Atomic Layers: S7E12 (00190)
Atomic Layer of the Day:
In case you haven't been on LinkedIn lately—I published my first book today!
Well, technically, it’s not a book in the traditional sense but rather the first part of a 12-part series in which I will document the history of the 3D printing industry, month by month. I started with 2012 and, if all goes well, I plan to continue each month until 2023.
Since May last year, I’ve been posting daily historical notes on LinkedIn and here as part of my "On this day in 3D printing..." series. The idea for a comprehensive publication emerged from the recurring question: "Hey Pawel, why don’t you write a book about this?"
So, I decided to start. The first edition covers 2012 and includes 79 key events that took place throughout the entire year. Each month features three major events and 3-4 additional ones. Some months required a lot of research...
READ ONLINE or DOWNLOAD PDF ⤓
Why start with 2012? There are two main reasons.
First, 2012 was a pivotal year, with groundbreaking events that shaped the 3D printing industry for years to come. Among the most significant were:
The merger of Stratasys and Objet
The official launch of Formlabs and the Form 1 3D printer
The debut of the MakerBot Replicator 1 & 2
3D Systems’ push into consumer 3D printing.
Without the Stratasys-Objet merger, there would have been no MakerBot acquisition in 2013. Without Cubify, 3D Systems wouldn’t have poured so much money into marketing and building 3D printing hype. And without Replicators and Form 1, the desktop 3D printing market wouldn’t have evolved as rapidly.
Then, there was something else. Something we'd rather not talk about, yet it was what first introduced many people to 3D printing. Cody Wilson, DEFCAD, and 3D-printed firearms. Yes, that happened in 2012 too.
The second reason is more practical. 3ders.org launched in late 2011 and began systematically covering 3D printing news in 2012. 3D Printing Industry followed only in March 2012, while 3DPrint.com, 3DNatives, ALL3DP, and VoxelMatters came even later. This made 2012 the first year with a relatively large volume of recorded industry events.
But my publication is much more than just rewriting old 3ders.org articles. Make no mistake—the quality of those texts was terrible. I made every effort to verify each event and date using original sources. In most cases, I succeeded, but in some, 3ders.org remains the only available reference.
From 2013 onward, research will be much easier—in January of that year, I launched my own website (Centrum Druku 3D) and was reporting the news in real-time.
READ ONLINE or DOWNLOAD PDF ⤓
Why create this publication at all?
Because nothing like this exists. Wohlers Associates once produced a document covering the history of 3D printing from the 1970s to 2015, but:
It lacks precise dates (at best, it mentions the month and year).
It describes events only briefly (for example, the entire year 1990 is summarized in just four sentences).
It’s only 35 pages long—whereas my 2012 edition alone is over 50 pages of pure industry insights.
This will be a comprehensive study, spanning over 700 pages once the entire series is completed. It’s a big challenge, but I’m confident I can do it.
Now, an important note—I could use your help and support.
The 2012 edition was made possible thanks to three sponsors:
QUALUP SAS (France)
Spectrum Filaments (Poland)
Technology Applied (Poland)
I’d love to bring together a similar lineup for future editions—ideally, a hardware manufacturer/supplier + materials manufacturer/supplier + AM service provider. Of course, software providers are also very welcome.
The cost of a two-page ad is 1,000 EUR. Considering the expected longevity of this e-book, it’s a great investment for highly visible advertising.
You know how to reach me, so if you’re interested—let’s talk. And don’t worry, I’ll be reaching out individually as well.
Thanks to the sponsors, the book is free, making it a fantastic new way to promote the AM industry.
For now—enjoy reading and downloading it!
Atomic Layer from the Past:
02-12-2016: Mattel introduced a "family 3D printer” priced at $299.
News & Gossip:
I know this might not interest many people, but hey—it’s my newsletter, so I’ll brag a little! Today, alongside the launch of my historical book, we also released a refreshed version of the AM Writer website. There’s still a lot to be added, but for now, it’s no longer just a single-page site like before. It’s evolving into a growing library of fantastic AM publications, including The 3D Printing World Guide and AM History. I believe that AM Margin Masters stories will soon make their debut there as well—discussions are already underway!
Materialise has opened an Aerospace Competence Center in Delft’s Aerospace Innovation Hub, strengthening its role in aerospace additive manufacturing. The center supports innovation, sustainability, and collaboration with TU Delft. Materialise has produced over 500,000 aerospace AM parts and joins Airbus and Collins Aerospace at the hub.
Last week, MIDO 2025—the eyewear industry show—took place in Milan. There were plenty of products made using 3D printing on display.
was there to cover it all, and he did a great job summarizing the highlights. You can read his report here.
2012 was also the inaugural year of America Makes!