In collaboration with GlassesUSA.com and the Polish 3D printer manufacturer Sinterit, Finnish designer Janne Kyttanen has released 3D printable eyewear designs that you can customize and print as a single frame. 

Anyone with access to a 3D printer can now download a printable file and create their own stylish eyewear frame designed by Finnish conceptual artist and designer Janne Kyttanen. Thanks to the wide ranging capabilities of additive manufacturing, certain designs and shapes that would be considered nearly impossible to create a few years ago can now be printed at home.

In collaboration with GlassesUSA.com, Kyttanen has launched three new eyewear designs – the Dragon, Mermaid, and Phoenix frames.

What makes Kyttanen’s eyewear design distinct from any other shades we’ve seen is that the entire frame can be 3D printed in a single piece, even including flexible temples. That means they are ready to wear immediately, all you need is a pair of lenses.

In addition, creative-minded consumers can even personalize their design by adding their name, phone number, or any other text onto the frames. Once finalized, you can 3D print your customized frame and then order the lenses from GlassesUSA.com.

Sinterit, the SLS 3D printer manufacturer from Poland, was given the first opportunity to print out a pair of Kyttanen glasses.

The frames were successfully printed on the Sinterit Lisa 3D printer, a desktop SLS printer that uses a high-powered laser to sinter powder and bind it into a sturdy and functional object. This unique printer is gaining recognition across the industry for offering an industrial-grade selective laser sintering technology within a compact, affordable, and accessible machine.

The end result is a high quality, but ultralight and flexible frame that is ready to be worn immediately. No post-production is required outside of ordering and inserting the lenses.

Introducing Janne Kyttanen…The Finnish Sculptor Redefining Design with 3D Printing

Kyttanen is a trailblazing digital sculptor and designer who fuses 3D printing technology with virtual reality and augmented reality. His work has previously been featured in TIME magazine as part of their ‘Design 100’ piece. His work has also decked the walls of multiple museums, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Stedelijk Museum, Design Miami, among others.

The Finnish designer founded the 3D printing and design firm Freedom of Creation in 2000, which was subsequently acquired by leading 3D printing company 3D Systems shortly after. In the same year, Kyttanen became the Creative Director of 3D Systems, a position he left in 2016 to found a venture capital fund.

Although 3D printed eyewear might seem to defy the norms of fashion, these customizable designs are both stylish and fully functional. According to Kyttanen, his mission is to share his work freely and empower others to also create. This collection of eyewear frames are extremely easy to edit, providing an ability for anyone to print, edit, customize, and even remix their shades with other designs.

You can download the files for these three designs from GlassesUSA.com. In fact, the eyewear website is currently holding a Design Contest for these frames, offering $300 to those who print, personalize, and share their custom eyewear with the world.

Source: Sinterit