Our first designer contest at PrusaPrinters.org was a massive success! With over 150 submitted models, we had a really tough time deciding who was the best. Huge thanks to everyone who participated and congratulations to winners! And ever since the contest ended, we’ve been getting dozens and dozens of messages, asking us when the next contest is going to start. The answer: right now!

What’s new at PrusaPrinters.org?

Before we jump to the new contest, allow me a few words about the recent happenings at PrusaPrinters.org. Recently, we’ve added an important new feature: Thingiverse importer. Those, who follow us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube probably already know about this feature, so here’s just a quick recap: a few weeks ago, we allowed a small group of makers to test our Thingiverse import feature. With their help, we managed to fix the remaining bugs. Now, the importer is available for all registered users! To prevent users from stealing other users’ models, there’s a simple safety mechanism in place. Before you are able to import your models, you need to confirm that you actually own the selected Thingiverse account by simply copy-pasting a piece of information into your profile. Once you are authorized, you can select the models you wish to transfer and confirm the selection. Once everything is processed, you’ll see the results in your Drafts. Double-check the information and publish the print files – it can’t get any easier than this!

Disclaimer: Please note that in certain cases, the import can be either incomplete, or it can even fail completely. This is usually due to Thingiverse servers being unavailable, or issues with uploaded models on Thingiverse servers. We cannot affect this in any way. However, these cases are extremely rare and most users can import their assets without any issues.

The rate at which PrusaPrinters users upload their prints increased noticeably in the last month – it’s up to 400 % compared to previous months. About 60 new models are added every day. We’re registering around 120 new users every day.

Merry Xmas and Happy Holiday Season!

The theme of our new contest is no big surprise – with the holiday season approaching fast, there wasn’t really any other choice. The deadline is December 18th, so you have more than a month to design something festive to celebrate your winter holidays – no matter whether it’s Christmas, Hannukah or Kwanzaa 🙂 Also, we’ll do our best to send the prizes shortly after the contest’s deadline.

The scope of our contest’s theme is very broad, so this is the perfect opportunity to unleash your creativity and submit something original and unique. Here are some tips to get you started: cookie cutters, Xmas tree decorations, unusual gift boxes, gift tags, room decorations… You are welcome to combine 3D printing with electronics, such as LED lights, Arduino or ESP8266 or anything else that comes to your mind. We can’t wait to see what you’ll come up with!

Prizes are waiting for you!

At the end of the contest, our judges will pick the best three creations. And the prizes?

1st place – Original Prusa i3 MK3S (kit)


2nd place – 4× Filament (Prusament) of your choice

You can pick any 4 Prusaments from our e-shop – so how about trying the new Prusament ASA Natural? Models printed with ASA can be smoothed with acetone vapors and the resulting object looks similar to ceramics.

3rd place – 2× Filament (Prusament) of your choice

 


 

You can pick any 2 Prusaments from our e-shop.

The best models will be awarded a lifetime “Featured print” badge and they will be featured on the main page of PrusaPrinters.

How to enter the contest?

Entering the contest is easy – follow the steps below:

  1. Design a 3D model or create a remix (based on somebody else’s design) that fits the contest theme. The model must be printable on an FFF or SLA 3D printer (any brand). This also means it’s not necessary to own a 3D printer – just keep in mind the limits of the technology.
  2. Upload the model to PrusaPrinters.org before the deadline. The upload must contain: model uploaded as .STL (.3mf and .gcode are only optional), at least one photo or render of the model (or both) and the description of the model
  3. Submit the model in the contest. The procedure is the same as adding a print into a collection. Open the model page and click the Collections icon. The first one will be the name of the contest – “Winter Holiday Season“. Tick the box and you’re done. You can remove the print from this collection at any time.
  4. (Optional) Share the model online – on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest… anywhere you like. Add #PrusaPrinters hashtag and increase the popularity of your model!

Terms and conditions

  • The contest runs from November 12th, 2019 till December 18th, 2019 (including the starting and ending dates)
  • You can enter with as many unique models as you like to increase your chances to win
  • You can create a brand new unique model, or create a remix (model based on someone else’s design) – however, the remix must not be in conflict with the original model’s license!
  • The model has to fit in the contest’s theme (Merry Xmas and Happy Holiday Season)
  • We reserve the right to terminate or change the terms of the competition at any time. In the event of a violation of the terms of the competition or attempted fraudulent conduct, the competitor will be excluded from the competition
  • Don’t forget you can submit your models imported from Thingiverse!

Selecting the winners

The best models will be selected by a jury consisting of Prusa Research employees. The first three places are rewarded with physical gifts. The main criteria are the quality of the model, printability (FFF or SLA technology), popularity (share the print to increase the popularity) and originality. Winners will be contacted via e-mail. The results will be also published on our Facebook and Twitter on December 20th.

Happy designing!