CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT: Many of us dream of working with something we really love. Here we hear how one of our customers developed her hobby into a company with the help of 3D printing. She now designs, produces and sells custom soap stamps (among other things).
In this article, we get to follow her journey, from the idea stage to where she is today. We also hear about her future plans. Please visit Mixat Design’s Facebook page where you can read more, see her products and continue to follow her journey.
Mixat Designs story: Make it personal!
Mixat Design invests in personification and lets you put your own stamp on your things!
This is how it all started
It started as a hobby, with creating personal reflex decals, boat and car decals, textile prints etc. using a cutting machine. When Mixat Design started in 2019, the focus shifted to 3D printing of personalized craft tools and to creating based on customers’ specific wishes, e.g. customer’s logo, signature, image or anything else personal.
Nov/Dec 2018
A colleague at work made soap and asked if I could make a soap stamp for her. She wanted to stamp her soaps with her own logo.
I only had the cutting machine then and explained that I unfortunately wasn’t able to help her with her request. But I told her I was going to buy a 3D printer soon, and then she could come back! It is important to put pressure on yourself. 😊
Every time I saw her, she asked if I had bought a 3D printer yet. That was what I needed to take the step.
Just over a month later I had my first 3D printer, a small Monoprice Select Mini and my colleague was able to stamp their soaps.
2019 Mixat Design was founded
The colleague’s stamped soaps were spread online and orders for stamps with personal motives began to arrive. It was necessary to supplement with another 3D printer and the choice then fell on an easy-to-use Flashforge Finder 2.
To understand what was important in the design of stamps, I started making soap myself, which turned out to be great fun. In addition, it gave me more ideas for tools for creating different patterns on the soaps, a pattern scraper for horizontal shapes, a kaleido tool for multicolored round soaps and a pattern rolling pin.
I received inquiries about soap and shampoo tools that could not be obtained in Sweden at the time, e.g. shampoo bar presses. Thanks to the technology of being able to design and show the customer visually online, we were able to work together to find the desired product.
2020 – New target group:
Even ceramicists want to stamp their works with a signature, picture, logo or something else personal. Stamping in clay required other conditions, e.g. more details on smaller surface and other stamp depth. This created a need for an additional 3D printer. The choice fell on yet another Flashforge Finder 2, to be able to use the same spare parts and accessories.
A 3D printer was dedicated to soap stamps, pattern rolls and kaleido-tools.
settings and properties of the 3D printer:
All Metal Hotend
0,4 nozzle
0,16 mm layer height
No support
Top surface skin line width 0,33 (the setting can be found under experimental in the slicer Cura)
The other 3D printers were dedicated to ceramic stamps with small and very fine details.
settings and properties of the 3D printer:
It was fitted with a 0,2 mm nozzle
All metal hotend
0,12 mm layer height
No support
Top surface skin line width 0.15 (the setting can be found under experimental in the slicer Cura)
2021 – New markets and new target group:
Visibility on social media has helped to spread information about my business and in addition to private individuals and companies in Sweden, soap products are also sold to neighboring countries and to a couple of countries within the EU.
Craftsmen in concrete casting also get in touch and want to stamp their products.
2022 – The Future
Mixat Design will continue to customize and personalize and there are a couple of brand new product ideas waiting for the light of day. 😊 Now I am studying training in Additive manufacturing and see more opportunities in different industries, which have not yet embraced the technology.
Outdoor life
Greetings from the team at Creative Tools
A big thank you to Mixat Design for sharing your journey! We at Creative Tools love to hear what our customers create with the help of their creativity and the products we offer. And to all the readers: please follow Mixat Design on Facebook.