5 Benefits of Printed Makeup

nnovative 3D printing technologies are transforming the industrial world with advanced tools capable of turning virtually any digital image into a “real-world,” three-dimensional object. But a new leader is emerging in the applications of cutting-edge 3D printing technology: the beauty industry, which is using these tools to redefine an industry staple: makeup.

Created with 3D printing tools and products for a completely customized user experience that’s also safe and environmentally friendly, printed makeup has benefits for both beauty brands and the customers they serve.

What Is 3D Printing?

The inkjet and laser printers we use every day lay down layers of ink on paper to duplicate digital input such as a text file or image. But 3D printers use digital input and computer-aided design to lay down multiple layers of many different materials, which eventually create a fully three-dimensional object that looks and functions like the digital source.

With materials ranging from plastics to carbon fiber and metallic powders, today’s 3D printers can create virtually anything ranging from industrial products and auto parts to homes, toys and even human skin and organs. With a combination of dedicated printer hardware, cloud based applications and artificial intelligence, 3D printing makes it possible to create unique, personalized products to meet a staggering variety of needs, including cosmetics, wellness and personal grooming.

Printed Makeup: Any Look, Any Time

Printed makeup is a product of the growing influence of digital technologies on the world of cosmetics and beauty tools and services. In earlier days, consumers typically learned about the latest beauty products from magazines, friends, and browsing the cosmetics counters in local stores.

Now, beauty trends are driven by social media, online shopping apps, and influencers with widely shared beauty vlogs. The world of beauty is becoming more inclusive than ever, too. Unlike pre-digital days when the range of cosmetic tones and colors was limited to a narrow range of “popular” shades determined by manufacturers, beauty consumers expect products that fit their looks. And with the advent of everyday digital tech for personalized online shopping, traditional beauty brands can no longer rely on brick and mortar stores and large inventories of products that may or may not sell.

Printed makeup tools and products are highly customizable, and capable of creating exactly the right colors and looks for any occasion without wasting packaging or content. That allows every user to get just the right product at the right time.

Printed Makeup Products: Innovation for the Future

Over the past decade, several makeup printing products have been developed, and more are on the horizon as technologies advance and the demand increases.

The Mink 3D Makeup Printer is capable of producing more than16 million colors. Users simply download the Mink app and use it to capture any image from any source. The printer then prints the image or any selection on a special sheet of “printer“ paper – but the output is in makeup, not ink. The printed makeup can be wiped off the sheet and applied to face and eyes.

Procter & Gamble’s Opte looks like an advanced makeup pen, but it’s a micro 3D printer that dispenses precision amounts of color along with an anti-aging serum. The Opte’s tip contains a high-resolution scanner and a tiny printer head with 120 nozzles. When a user runs the pen over the face, it detects blemishes or flaws and prints a serum in the exact skin tone needed to cover it.

Other makeup printing concepts in the works combine advanced facial recognition and innovative hardware. These include the Moda by Swedish beauty company Foreo, and Seymourpowell’s Elever Intelligent Makeup Printer. The Moda is an all in one digital beauty assistant capable of recreating any beauty look from any source. Users choose the look they want and then place their face directly into the Moda unit, which applies the look. The Elever is a “smart” mirror that scans a user’s face with advanced facial recognition technology and then delivers the scanned cosmetic colors directly to the face.

The Benefits of Printed Makeup

Printed makeup products combine a diverse collection of digital technologies and concepts to create a completely new world of beauty that offers substantial benefits.

Printed Makeup is Personalized and On-Demand

Printed makeup technologies allow every user to create a completely customized look for any occasion, with precise targeting to skin tones and color palettes. Makeup printers can work with any image source, too, so they can be used to recover lost or obsolete makeup colors, capture a unique shade, or recreate vintage looks.

Printed Makeup Eliminates Waste

Makeup printers contain FDA-approved powdered makeup in a variety of colors, so there’s no need for a number of different products, each in their own packaging. They deliver the exact amount of makeup needed every time, so there’s no need for trial and error, or using too much of any product.

Makeup Printers are Environmentally Friendly

Because printed makeup eliminates the need for buying multiple products in individual packages, it reduces costs and eliminates the need for individual containers and wrappings that typically contain plastics and other non-degradable substances.

Makeup Printing Saves Time

The Mink printer claims it can print a complete look in just 15 seconds, but any printed makeup option can save considerable time. All the colors and materials needed to create a particular look are instantly and simultaneously available, so there’s no need to search for products or try out different combinations to get the desired results.

Printed Makeup Offers New Directions for Traditional Brands

Printed makeup technologies can also benefit older, more established beauty brands facing stiff competition from the digital world. These technologies allow traditional brands to personalize services and products more than ever, and eliminate risks of stocking products customers don’t buy.

3D printing technologies were designed for industrial applications, but their uses go far beyond that. With an array of concepts and products for printing makeup on demand, the beauty industry is taking the lead in 3D technologies, with benefits for brands and buyers alike.