国际英语新闻:3-D printing taking shape

BEIJING, June 29 (Xinhuanet) -- More Chinese are embracing the technology and choosing to build their own machines.

Until recently, 3-D printing sounded like a magical technology to many Chinese - one used to create everything from houses to human organs. But the arrival of desktop-size 3-D printers is bringing the technology into people's homes, where they put it to all kinds of uses. A young father uses a 3-D printer to make models of his son at different stages of his life. An architect prints a miniature version of a building he is designing. A man prints a copy of a part he needs for a machine designed to water plants at a fixed time.

Many owners of 3-D printers are wealthy young men, who like to show off the expensive technology to their friends. The printers can cost up to 200,000 yuan ($32,000), and understanding how to operate the machines takes time.

Despite the high cost and learning curve, some people use 3-D printers for fun, while others use them for educational purposes or as creative outlets.

Zhang Ming, who made his first 3-D printer in 2011, was one of the first people in China to make his own desktop-size machine. "For people who like making things by hand, a 3-D printer is really convenient for producing parts that are difficult to find," the 28-year-old says.

Zhang resigned from a bank in 2011 so he could devote all of his time to making 3-D printers, which he thought could make a difference in people's lives.

The 3-D printers Zhang makes cost around 1,000 yuan to build, and he can sell them at much cheaper prices than large manufacturers.

"I didn't design the 3-D printer. I finished it by following instructions provided on a foreign website," he says.

Zhang shared the instructions on how to build a 3-D printer on his open-source website, Dazhi.com. While most open-source websites on the mainland are copies of English versions from other countries, Zhang built his site using his own information.

Zhang launched his website in April. Although it doesn't have many users, Zhang says he enjoys sharing information about the printers he builds and tips on building items using the technology.

"I just do it for fun," Zhang says. "I will be very happy if people with the same interests share things via my website."

In addition to desktop-size 3-D printers, 3-D printing pens are also gaining popularity. Jiang Feizuo builds his own 3-D printing pens and sells them.

The 25-year-old's customers include artists - who use the pens to make sculptures - designers, architects and people in the filmmaking industry. Some people view 3-D printing pens as toys and buy them as gifts for children. The pens can be a good learning tool for children, Jiang says.