Michelle Janco – Looking Outwards – 03

For this week’s Looking Outwards, I chose to read about and look at was a 3D printed “fabric” made by the 3D print service “Digits2Widgets” in 2014, which was presented at NYC’s 3D Printshow. The 3D printed material is made to be flexible like cloth of fabric. I found it fascinating that something made with a computer could behave like an otherwise flexible, sometimes organic material. I don’t know what specific algorithms were used in the making of this material, but I know it must have involved repeatedly creating patterns, as the material is made of millions of small interlocking pieces. You can see that comfort is trying to be achieved, as 3D printed forms are usually hard and not flexible. The Design Director of Digits2Widgets, Jonathan Rowley, said he “hopes artists and designers pick up on this concept and begin to print ‘real’ flexible garments that are actually light, comfortable and totally flexible.” I could not find an official title for the product other than 3D Printed Nylon.

http://www.fabbaloo.com/blog/2014/2/14/its-3d-printed-and-its-flexible