Does anyone else remember when business correspondence had to be typed because dot-matrix printing was unacceptable (no descenders and all) and the edges of fan fold paper tore when you pulled off the perforations? That's where 3D printing was last year. This year we've moved on to the equivalent of 24-pin with true descenders and the fan fold paper is Disapperf. Laser printers are still high-end and ink jets haven't made the market yet.
I would guess that late this year or early in 2015 will be the real tipping point. Some standard for files will evolve, multicolor will make it down to consumer levels, and it will be easier and easier to find a nearby service center for large or specialty-material jobs.
Within five years, there will be 3D printers and apps we cannot imagine. The medical uses alone are so staggering that the reports look like science fiction. This is, as I've said before, the kind of shift that cell phones and home computers caused.
