A garage kit is a scale assembly model that is made in the shape of popular characters, often from anime, gaming, or movies. It started to become popular in Japan in the 1980s and has expanded through the years as the industry of animation grew exponentially in the past years. Hobbyists and other creative professionals are certainly excited about every progress that 3D printing has made and will be making in the future.
In this post, we’re going to dive deeper into the role of 3D printing in animation and garage kits in particular, so if this is something you’re interested in, do read on and learn more about it:
Why Is a Garage Kit Named So?
The garage kit was called so because it was associated with those traditional DIY projects that people used to do in their home garage. It is possible that you can trace the very first garage kits all the way back to the 1960s. A toy company in the US started making plastic modelling kits of then-popular movie characters and monsters, though it only became popular for a while before it disappeared again.
It was in the 1980s when modelling kits became popular in Japan and built on that. That’s how we get the garage kits people know and love today. As you can expect, the most popular kits in Japan and even other countries are anime characters.
A garage kit includes skeleton plastic parts of the model, and the user glues those pieces together and then paints it to get the look of their favourite character. Garage kits used to be the cheaper option for collectors, but there are limited edition anime garage kits that now sell for more than £500 online.
The Role 3D Printing Plays in Garage Kits
3D printing presents a whole new world of possibilities for hobbyists who are interested in creating their very own garage kits based on their preferences. They don’t have to settle with the garage kits that they can buy pre-made. This means they can tailor every aspect of the design, size, and other details of the model. Even now, you can see many creatives doing their own 3D printing on social media.
3D printing is, of course, also used by manufacturers of garage kits for everything from their basic kits to limited edition ones. There are some 3D printing communities online that share their designs so other fellow hobbyists can make models of their own.
How 3D Printing Impacts the Animation Industry
Needless to say, the ability to make quick 3D prints has affected the animation industry positively. The animation industry has been able to use this tech to do stop motion animation. They also allowed animators to get more detailed figures in a more timely and more cost-effective manner. The gaming industry has also been able to make the most of 3D printing for its exquisite characters.
Conclusion
3D printing has certainly made leaps and bounds in the past few decades and has impacted countless industries. The best thing about it is that its use isn’t confined to just one or two industries, but its application is endless! Whether you need it for your business or you’re a hobbyist who likes the idea of creating your own models, 3D printing is a technology that you’ll definitely enjoy.
That said, 3D printers can be quite pricey, and if you’re not going to use them on a regular basis, it makes better sense to simply send your data for the model you want to a reliable 3D printing service provider who can print it for you.
3D Quick Printing stands by its name – providing clients with rapid and cost-effective 3D printing services in the UK. Whatever project you might have in mind, our team can print it for you! Contact us today to get a quote from our pros!
