A 3D Printer Could Be Your Future Tattoo Artist

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By Laura Vitto2014-04-08 15:53:29 UTC

Ink junkies, take note— a machine could create your future tattoos.

Three French design students modified a MakerBot 3D printer to administer tattoos. One lucky volunteer is now the proud bearer of the world's first 3D-printed tattoo — a perfect circle on his forearm.

See also: Artist Turns Your Brainwaves Into 3D-Printed Sculptures

Pierre Emm, Piotr Widelka and Johan Da Silveira modified the printer as part of a challenge from France's Cultural Ministry and hosted through design school ENSCI Les Ateliers. For the challenge, the students had eight hours to create a project that remixes images, videos and sounds found in the public domain.

Though the original project used only a pen to create a temporary tattoo, the students worked in their spare time to create a printer that would create permanent tattoos.

The trio tested their machine using artificial skin before finding a volunteer and using a Scooter inner tube to the hold the skin taut.

A tutorial detailing the building process can be found online at Instructables.

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Topics: 3D printers, 3D printing, design, dev and design, Dev & Design, Tech, Videos, Watercooler

Image: Vimeo appropriate audience