Journal
What the material can and cannot do, what made-to-order actually costs you in waiting, and how to live with a printed object. Each note opens with a short answer, so you do not have to read the whole thing to get the point.
Not reliably, and we would not recommend it. A standard 3D-printed PLA vase is not waterproof: water finds the microscopic gaps between layer lines and seeps through or weeps at the base, usually within a few days. The fix is a liner — drop a glass tube, test tube or small jar inside the vase and let the print be the sleeve.
Read the noteDust with a dry brush, wipe with a barely damp cloth, and dry it straight away. Keep it below about 55°C, which rules out dishwashers, closed cars and windowsills that get direct afternoon sun. That is the whole routine — a printed object asks for less care than a ceramic one, not more.
Read the noteExpect ₹1,500–₹3,500 for a considered single piece, a wait of a few days rather than same-day dispatch, and pricing that tracks hours on the print bed rather than the size of the object. Anything shipping instantly from stock was printed in a batch before you arrived — which is a different product, not a better price.
Read the noteBecause holding stock forces a studio to guess. Printing to order means nothing exists until someone wants it, which removes the discount cycle, the dead inventory and the pressure to design for what sold last season. The cost is that you wait between 11 and 26 hours of print time instead of a same-day dispatch.
Read the notePLA is a plastic made from fermented plant sugars rather than petroleum. It is industrially compostable but not home-compostable, and it will not break down in a landfill. We use it because it is the least loaded material available to a small studio, not because it is harmless.
Read the noteDesigning for stillness means removing every feature whose job is to be noticed. In practice it produces three rules: one gesture per object, no decoration that is not structural, and surfaces that record how the object was made rather than pretending it appeared fully formed.
Read the noteMaterials, print times, shipping and care — condensed.