SolidWorks vs. Fusion 360 vs. AutoCAD: Which CAD Software Is Right for Your Product Design Project?
Choosing the right CAD software is one of the first decisions in any product design project, and it is one of the most common questions we hear from clients at our Glendale studio. SolidWorks, Fusion 360, and AutoCAD are three of the most widely used platforms, but they were built for very different jobs. Pick […]
3D Scan to 3D Print: How to Turn a Real Object Into an Accurate Replica
Can you 3D scan an object and print a copy of it? It’s one of the questions we hear most often at our Glendale studio, and the answer is yes — with the right process. Going from 3D scan to 3D print is how broken parts get replaced, discontinued components come back to life, and […]
PLA vs. ABS vs. PETG vs. Nylon: How to Choose the Right 3D Printing Material
Choosing the right 3D printing material is just as important as choosing the right printer. Two parts made from the same file can behave completely differently depending on whether they were printed in PLA, ABS, PETG, nylon, or resin. After more than two decades of running prints for engineers, designers, and small manufacturers here in […]
How Much Does Custom Jewelry Design Cost? CAD, Wax Printing, and Casting Prices Explained
If you’re pricing out a custom ring, pendant, or bracelet, custom jewelry design cost is usually the first number you want pinned down. The short answer: most custom jewelry design projects run $100–$600 for the CAD design work, roughly $30–$150 for the 3D-printed wax or resin model, and casting costs that depend mostly on the […]
How Much Does Laser Engraving Cost? A Practical Pricing Guide
If you’re pricing out a custom project, one of the first questions you’ll ask is: how much does laser engraving cost? The honest answer is that it depends — on the material, the size of the artwork, the quantity, and how much setup work is involved. In this guide, we break down how laser engraving […]
What Is Design for Manufacturing (DFM)? How Smart CAD Decisions Cut Production Costs
Design for manufacturing (DFM) is the practice of engineering a product so it can be produced efficiently, consistently, and at the lowest workable cost — without compromising how it looks or performs. In our experience, most budget overruns aren’t caused by the factory; they’re locked in at the CAD stage, months before production begins. After […]
Laser vs. Structured Light vs. Photogrammetry: Which 3D Scanning Method Is Right for Your Project?
Choosing the right 3D scanning method can make or break a project. Laser scanning, structured light scanning, and photogrammetry all capture real-world objects as digital 3D data, but they differ in accuracy, speed, cost, and the kinds of parts they handle best. After more than two decades of scanning everything from machined metal parts to […]
How to Prepare a 3D Model for Printing: File Formats, Wall Thickness, and Common Mistakes
Before you can get a fast quote or a clean part, you need to prepare a 3D model for printing the right way. After 22+ years of running prints for engineers, inventors, and designers across Los Angeles, we can tell you that most failed prints and delayed quotes trace back to the same handful of […]
What Is Lost-Wax Casting? How Custom Jewelry Is Made with CAD and 3D Printing
Turning a jewelry idea into a finished piece of gold or silver almost always comes down to one time-tested process: lost-wax casting. It is the backbone of modern jewelry manufacturing, and at our Los Angeles studio it is where custom rings, pendants, and heirloom pieces come to life. What has changed in recent years is […]
What Materials Can Be Laser Engraved? A Guide to Wood, Acrylic, Metal, Leather, and Glass
One of the first questions we hear at our Glendale shop is simple: can you laser engrave this? The honest answer is that laser engraving works beautifully on a wide range of materials — and fails, sometimes dangerously, on a few others. Knowing which materials can be laser engraved before you design a part saves […]