Distributed manufacturing
Instead of one factory making everything, distributed manufacturing spreads production across many small workshops. At Intagly, those workshops are independent makers across the US, each with their own 3D printers.
Distributed manufacturing means making products in many locations, close to where they are needed, rather than in one central plant. The idea is old, but 3D printing made it practical for everyday parts: a digital file can be sent anywhere, and the same file can be printed on any capable machine.
Community-based 3D printing is distributed manufacturing done by a network of people. Hobbyists, small print shops and design engineers with their own equipment take on jobs that match their printers and materials. A platform handles the parts that are hard to do alone: pricing, safety checks, matching each job to the right maker, payment and shipping.
That is what Intagly does. You bring a file or an idea; our US maker community makes it.
Upload an STL for an instant price, or chat free with a design engineer if you need a model made.
Models are reviewed against our prohibited items policy before anything is printed.
The job goes to an available, vetted maker with the right printer and material, as close to you as possible.
The maker prints your part, checks it and photographs the finished print.
Shipped to your door, usually in 5–7 business days. Library patrons pick up at their branch.
The common worry about distributed manufacturing is consistency. These are the checks that keep it in line.
Every maker completes test prints before they receive a customer order.
Material and color are part of your order, so the maker prints in what you picked.
Makers photograph completed orders; makers who don't meet our standards are removed.
Average rating: ★ 4.6 from 743 customer ratings.
Not sure which applies to you? Ask an engineer before you order.
Chat with an engineer →No. A print farm is many printers in one building run by one company. Distributed manufacturing spreads the work across many independent workshops in different places.
When possible. We match your project with the nearest available member of our community who has the right printer and material. If no one nearby is available, a maker elsewhere in the US takes the job and ships it to you.
Material and color come from your order, not the maker's choice. If parts must match closely, say so when you order or ask an engineer first.
Yes. If you own a 3D printer, you can become an Intagly maker: complete two test prints, then accept orders on your own schedule.
Get a price in seconds, or talk it through with an engineer first.