Hop on the tube down to Farringdon? You have plenty of markets, historic sites and just down Clerkenwell road, right next to a quaint, little Vespa dealership you have the newly opened iMakr store. In April we told you about the largest 3D printing store coming to London. They’re two weeks in, with interest in the shop picking up and new services launching for those in the Greater London area.


imakr-shop-london-01

Making: Open for business

The shop is two-stories of 3D printing products, 3D printed art and 3D printing supplies. Laid out like a gallery of gadgets and unique finds, the shop give people an idea of what 3D printers are, how they work and what they can be used to create. It’s as much an introduction to the technology for those who don’t know about it, as it is a supply shop for locals to gather for an infusion of filament, conversation and inspiration.

The Store is doing very well since its opening two weeks ago, exceeding our expectations. This week, we’ve launched 3D Printing-on-Demand and 3D Scanning-on-demand with very good response. Next week on Tuesday, [we] will begin the training–first session sold out in no time.

The 2-hour training courses will run every two weeks, Tuesday or Thursday evening starting at 6:30 pm at the iMakr store. Cost is £49/person with everything included in the fee. ‘3D Printing 101’ is the first course they’re offering, with an upcoming course that takes you from CAD to 3D printing.

Making it Work

Maker stores are sure to be all the rage over the coming years, but is it sustainable? The ‘Maker store’ for many is the craft, hobby or hardware shop down the street. They currently don’t carry the hottest 3D printers on the market or filament options (with one exception), but it’s not out of the realm of possibility to see these stores sticking a ‘Maker’ section betwixt the floral department and scrapbooking–much like grocers have done with organic produce. Within that even, there are plenty of specialty stores in health and organic food, so perhaps it’s not too much to think that specialty 3D printing shops can make a go of it. iMakr has a mix of other interest, featuring 3D printed art and providing both training and service. It’s certainly a new type of shop and a mix that just might work.

The crowd gathers outside the iMakr store before the opening.

Inside iMakr prior to opening.

People browsing the gallery of products at the iMakr store.

Plenty of filament, 3d printed art and printers to feast your eye upon.

Images courtesy iMakr

Author

Josh is founder and editor at SolidSmack.com, founder at Aimsift Inc., and co-founder of EvD Media. He is involved in engineering, design, visualization, the technology making it happen, and the content developed around it. He is a SolidWorks Certified Professional and excels at falling awkwardly.