3D Printing Content Trends Report - December 2016

3D Printing Content Trends Report #1

December 2016

"What were 3D printer owners printing last Christmas?"

 

Welcome to the first edition of the 3D Printing Content Trends Report!

Based on global data for December 2016 from MyMiniFactory, this new trends report is the authority to answer the question "What are people 3D printing on their desktop 3D printers?". Consumer desktop 3D printing is nothing without content and MyMiniFactory was the host of some 19,901 published objects as of 31st December 2016.

This monthly report will give insight into 3D printable object consumption for the past month: the verticals, the categories, the top designers, geographical markets, etc. in the quest to help 3D printer manufacturers, 3D design software publishers, 3D designers and other 3D printing industry observers, analysts and commentators better understand the demand for 3D printable files. We welcome feedback, ideas for new data publication and comments about this initiative: don't hesitate to contact us. 

Number of objects downloaded in December 2016:

133,450

 

Most Popular Categories

The below chart breaks down the most popular object categories by number of downloads. For December, Toys & Games was the clear winner - with people 3D printing presents for the Christmas period being one reason for this. Toys & Games in general make a lot of sense for desktop 3D printing (through materials, costs and the value of creativity), and as such we see a large amount of activity for this category.

The number of downloads for Scan the World proves that art and cultural heritage is very popular among 3D printer owners. Scan the World is also the world's largest 3D printable museum, comprising of some 5k objects. This large offering also contributes in making Scan the World the second most popular category in December 2016.
 
Other popular categories are those that also make a lot of sense for desktop 3D printing at this point in the industry's development - with Props & Cosplay, Home & Garden, Fan Art, Gadgets and Electronics all landing high on number of downloads. 
 
 

Top Designers

Below are the top downloaded designers or profiles for December 2016. These are designers whose objects were particularly popular for the month of December. Scan the World tops the list due once again to the popularity 3D printable artwork and objects of cultural significance - as well as the massive scale of the Scan the World collection. Many designers on this list form part of the MyMiniFactory Studios Program and contribute content exclusively to MyMiniFactory which is a contributing factor regarding the overall popularity.

Rank DesignerDownloads
1 Profile Picture Scan The World 9905
2 Profile Picture Kirby Downey 4401
3 Profile Picture Ricardo Alves 3384
4 Profile Picture Jill Cope 2724
5 Profile Picture Daniel Lilygreen 2665
6 Profile Picture Jurica Pranjic 2214
7 Profile Picture Michal Fanta 1927
8 Profile Picture Ricardo Salomao 1774
9 Profile Picture Tom Davis 1766
10 Profile Picture Louvre Museum 1643

   

Countries by Popularity

This map outlines downloads by country. Hover over each country to see the percentage of total downloads that came from that location. USA topped the list with 30.7% - a clear leader in the market in terms of individual countries. Europe totalled 32.8%. 

The top 3 countries by downloads were: USA, United Kingdom and France. 

 
 
That's it for the December report! We will be building on this trend report month on month to bring you more data and insight. If you have any suggestions or ideas for what you'd like to see in the next report - or would like more detailed information - please get in touch. If you'd like to be notified when the next report is release just input your email address below.