Did you know that 3D printing can do all this?

It's Global 3D Printing Day (#3DPrintingDay), and to celebrate we wanted to share some examples of just how cool 3D printing can be. You might have heard of 3D printed cars, shoes or prosthetics, but the innovation doesn't stop there. No matter the industry, there is an application for 3D printing – from the medical field to creative arts, from education to geology – 3D printing is changing the world.

Here are four of my favorite 3D printing applications to celebrate today:

1. Plastic Surgery

Anyone who has undergone reconstructive or plastic surgery knows that it's not a simple ordeal. When it comes to altering the way that you look, there's an inherent risk factor beyond just going under the knife – the uncertainty of knowing what the final result will look like. With 3D printing, we are now changing the face (get it?) of reconstructive and plastic surgery, allowing doctors to be able to communicate both verbally and physically what their patients' will look like post-surgery, and giving patients the opportunity to interact with their "after" selves without even seeing a knife.

The importance of color in this application is clear – it would be almost impossible for a patient to look at a monochromatic replication of their face and be able to truly understand what the final result will look like. With photorealistic 3D printing, details down to the blush in their cheeks and the arch of their eyebrows show patients the true final result that they will see in the mirror for the rest of their lives.

2. Jewelry

The trend towards "going green" affects everyone from large manufacturers to an individual, and every little bit counts. While corporations work to reduce their emissions, on a personal basis simple changes such as recycling cans and bottles or turning off the light when you leave a room can make an impact. If being eco-friendly is part of your or your company's core values, then paper-based 3D printing can help you achieve your goal, no matter the industry.

Take jewelry, for example – from concept to design to implementation, the process often encounters hurdles including reproducing the exact design on paper to its final, wearable form. With 3D printing, that problem is obsolete, and with paper-based 3D printing any issues with toxicity or fumes are also eliminated, creating 100% recyclable products. Sounds like a win-win, especially with results like this.

3. Medical Studies

While 3D printed prosthetics are certainly awe-inspiring and often come with heartwarming stories, the importance of how the human body (including bones, muscles and ligaments) moves on its own is just as important. For medical students, this is especially true, and 3D printing is giving them the ability to learn in the palm of their hand.

With true-to-life 3D printed bones, students see the intricacies of the bone structure, including where tendons and ligaments connect. By adding these additional ways for students to learn, 3D printing is expanding lesson plans beyond the whiteboard and computer screen. They can recreate the physical movements on the bones, and can even print abnormal or diseased bones and compare them to healthy bones to help determine the best course of treatment for patients.

4. Geology Analyses

Hazards often exist in the land area around us, but can be difficult to discover or understand when just explained on a two-dimensional map. 3D printing gives geologists the ability to explain the "why" behind the "where" of the hazards, providing an additional level of detail that simply cannot exist on flat surfaces alone.

When two-dimensional data is paired with three-dimensional digital images, hazards and dangers are brought to life and can be examined at a much higher level of detail. For example, in the case of an active volcano, 3D printing can show volcanologists all of the potential paths of lava flow, allowing them to be prepared no matter what happens. This can then be clearly relayed to the public, who might not otherwise be able to fully comprehend the danger if it was presented on a two-dimensional hazard map.

There is no doubt in my mind that the applications of 3D printing will continue to grow at an exponential rate. We have only touched the tip of the iceberg as to what the future of 3D printing will bring, and I can't wait to see how far 3D printing takes us!