The biggest issue is the lack of a "killer app". People would have to have a good reason to dedicate the money, time and space to purchasing and operating a 3D printer in their homes, and it's hard to think of one at this point. Even if every family with young children bought one to print toys, for example, that still wouldn't be a majority of households, and there are good reasons why families with children would not want one in their houses, safety issues being one (as was pointed out above), and the space required being another.

Since the footprint of a printer is directly related to the size of the objects it can print - I've never seen an exception to this rule - it's hard to see how miniaturization would change the amount of space a 3d printer would require. The fact that so many people have 2D printers in their homes seems to have led some who should know better to analogize and predict that the same thing will happen with 3D printers, but while most people have the ability to create and the need to print out documents, reports, letters, or school themes, the number of people who can create 3D models and who need to print out small plastic objects is small and likely to remain so.

For that part of the population with the need for it, it seems likely that 3D-printing service bureaus will be the way that need will be fulfilled, rather than the purchase, installation, operation and maintenance of a 3D printer at home.

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com