3D Printing For Costume Design and Technology

3D printing technology has grown significantly in the last ten years to become an accessible tool for artists, small business owners, and amateur crafters. It has already made a splash in the fashion industry through visionary leaders such as Iris van Herpen, Michael Schmidt, and Francis Bitonti. And it has slowly been invading the costume design world in film (Prometheus, Enders Game, Man of Steel), and most recently themed entertainment (Walt Disney World’s “Festival of Fantasy Parade”). It’s implications for the future of design seems endless, and designers are posed to make great gains in the ability to execute unusual and complex costume pieces unlike ever before.

I recently had the opportunity to serve on a panel on “3D Printing for Costume Design and Technology” at The United States Institute for Theatre Technology 2015 national conference in Cincinnati alongside Heather Milam (Professor of Practice, Indiana University) and Lisa Hanusiak (Materials Engineer, Walt Disney World). This panel was designed to reach a range of interests and abilities- from beginner to advanced user. The panel walked the audience through the history of the technology, the four basic forms of printing that costume designers and technicians should be familiar with, introductory software, and case studies from university/small theatres and large-scale themed entertainment.

Below you will find images of the PowerPoint presentation, and a link to download the entire presentation as a PDF.

Download “3D Printing for Costume Design and Technology – USITT2015” here.