3D printed plastic sole of an Adidas shoe is pictured before the annual news conference in the northern Bavarian town of Herzogenaurach, near Nuremberg. Photo by Michaela Rehile.

A 3D model of a complex anaplastology case, created in collaboration with the anaplastologist Jan De Cubber, is seen at the Belgian company Materialise, the biggest 3D printer in Europe, in Leuven. Photo by Yves Herman.

French engineer and professional violinist Laurent Bernadac poses with the «3Dvarius», a 3D printed violin made of transparent resin, in Paris, France. Photo by Christian Hartmann.

Customer Andreas Kroker looks at a 3D-printed figure of himself at the Twinkind 3D printing studio in Berlin, Germany. Photo by Thomas Peter.

3D-printed models of Marvin, the 3D Hubs mascot, are seen at the 3D Hubs office in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Photo by Toussaint Kluiters.

An example made by the Shapeways 3D printing company is seen at their office in the borough of Queens in New York. Photo by Shannon Stapleton.

Twelve-year-old Leon McCarthy (R) rests his prosthetic hand on a MarkerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer, while talking to the company’s CEO Bre Pettis, at the new MakerBot store in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.. Photo by Brian Snyder.

A MakerBot Replicator 2 desktop 3D printer creates the statue of the late U.S. President Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial during a media preview of GE Garage in Washington, U.S.. Photo by Gary Cameron.

A picture shows figures that were created by means of 3D printing in Berlin, Germany. Photo by Thomas Peter.

A visitor takes a picture of the 3D printed shoes by architect Zaha Hadid during the Milan Design Week, Italy. Photo by Stefano Rellandini.