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What is 3D printing: a jargon-free explanation

3D printing makes a physical object directly from a digital model: the printer melts plastic filament and lays it down in thin layers, one on top of another, until the object 'grows' out of them. That's exactly how our 3D city maps, keychains and magnets are made.

How it works: layer by layer

The most common technology is FDM (fused deposition modeling). A spool of plastic filament feeds into a hot print head (~200 °C), melts, and extrudes through a thin nozzle — usually 0.4 mm. The head follows a computed path and draws one horizontal slice of the model; then the platform drops a fraction of a millimeter and the next layer is drawn.

A typical layer is 0.2 mm high — fifty layers per centimeter. That's why 3D-printed objects show fine stripes on their sides: those are the layers, the technology's fingerprints.

Why it's perfect for city maps

A city is a set of heights: buildings of different storeys, roads below, terrain hills. A 3D printer reproduces these literally — every building gets its real height, the river sits below the embankment, hills read under your fingers.

Every model is unique — the printer doesn't care whether it prints a hundred identical objects or a hundred different ones. That's why a personal map of your district costs like a mass souvenir, not like custom casting.

How long and how much

A keychain prints in about an hour, an 8 cm map in a few hours, a large panel up to a day. Hence the 2–4 business day lead time. Prices: keychain from ≈€4, map from ≈€8 — cheaper than most personalized gifts.

Try the map builder

Building a 3D model of your district is free — you only pay if you order a print.

3D city maps

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