How Much Does CAD Design Cost? A Practical Guide to Product Design Pricing
If you’re planning a new product, one of the first questions you’ll ask is: how much does CAD design cost? It’s a fair question, and the honest answer is “it depends” — but not in a vague way. After more than two decades of product design work here in Los Angeles, we can tell you […]
Castable Wax vs. Castable Resin: Which Is Better for Jewelry Casting?
If you’re getting a design ready for jewelry casting, the biggest decision after the CAD model is finished is what to print the casting pattern in: castable wax or castable resin. Both are made to burn out of an investment mold and leave behind a clean cavity for molten metal, but they behave very differently […]
Laser Engraving vs. Laser Cutting: What’s the Difference and Which One Do You Need?
Laser engraving and laser cutting sound like the same service, and the two often run on the same machine, but they solve very different problems. If you are a designer, brand, or manufacturer in Los Angeles trying to decide which one your project needs, the distinction matters for cost, material choice, and the final result. […]
From Idea to Production: How the Product Design and CAD Process Works
Turning a rough sketch or a napkin idea into a finished, manufacturable product is rarely a straight line. The bridge between “I have an idea” and “here is a part I can produce and sell” is product design and CAD. In our Glendale studio we’ve spent more than 22 years walking Los Angeles inventors, engineers, […]
3D Scanning for Reverse Engineering: How It Works and When You Need It
Reverse engineering used to mean calipers, a notepad, and a lot of guesswork. Today, 3D scanning turns a physical part into an accurate digital model in a fraction of the time. Whether you have a legacy component with no drawings, a worn part that needs replacing, or a hand-sculpted prototype you want to manufacture, 3D […]
How Does 3D Scanning Work? Laser, Structured Light, and Photogrammetry Explained
3D scanning turns a real, physical object into an accurate digital 3D model that you can measure, edit, and manufacture from. If you have ever wondered how a turbine blade, a vintage car part, or a sculpture ends up as a precise CAD file, the answer is almost always some form of 3D scanning. In […]
How Much Does 3D Printing Cost? A Los Angeles Pricing Guide (2026)
One of the first questions we hear at our Glendale studio is simple: how much does 3D printing cost? The honest answer is that it depends on the technology, the material, and the size of your part — but the ranges are predictable once you know what drives the price. As a full-service 3D studio […]
FDM vs SLA 3D Printing: Which Technology Is Right for Your Project?
FDM and SLA are the two most popular 3D printing technologies, and choosing between them is the first decision on almost every project. Both can produce excellent parts, but they excel at different things. Here’s a practical comparison based on what we see across thousands of prints. How Each Technology Works FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) […]
How Much Does 3D Scanning Cost? A 2026 Pricing Guide
If you’re researching 3D scanning services, the first question is usually the same: what will it cost? The honest answer is that prices range from about $100 for a simple small-part scan to several thousand dollars for large, complex reverse-engineering projects. This guide breaks down the factors that drive the price so you can budget […]