Confession time: I didn’t know much about additive manufacturing when I first arrived at Rapid News back in 2014. During my interview, the best link I could make to 3D printing was that my mother-in-law was proof-reading a book by Francis Bitonti – the designer behind that famous 3D-printed Dita dress. I knew next to nothing about the technology, how it worked, or that comparing it to a Star Trek Replicator was, apparently, the quickest way to out yourself as a beginner.
But I did know about magazines.
I grew up making them – cutting up issues of Mizz and Girl Talk, pasting them into homemade “zines” before I even knew what zines were. I’d spend hours in Encarta ’95 researching Ancient Egypt and turning my “discoveries” into mock newspaper articles. That love of storytelling — of shaping words and visuals into something people actually want to spend time with — is what has kept me here, 10 years on, writing about one of the most innovative industries in the world.
That’s why this moment feels special. You’re reading TCT Magazine in a new way.
This is our digital edition — designed to be read, saved, shared and revisited. It’s built for readers who want to dive deeper into additive manufacturing wherever they are — at a desk, on a train, between sessions at a trade show. We’ve taken everything we love about print — the pacing, the curation, the thought behind every headline — and translated it into a digital experience that’s clean, considered, and human.
Some things haven’t changed. It’s still Sam and me bringing you original AM stories that we hope will spark meaningful conversations. You’ll still find the odd music-inspired headline, though our new look has mercifully freed us from our two-word additive puns. What we want, more than ever, is for TCT to feel like a space worth pausing for — a magazine you trust to be curated by people who care deeply about this industry.
This issue’s cover marks that evolution. I travelled to Lübeck to sit down with Nikon SLM Solutions’ CEO Sam O’Leary — refreshingly honest, a little contrarian, and optimistic about AM’s future. Inside, our Sam takes a deep dive into General Motors’ ultra-luxury use of AM, while we explore how 4WEB Medical is scaling patient-specific implants.
You’ll also find some new regulars we’ve been wanting to introduce for a while — practical “How to” guides, a “Day in the Life” feature with industry leaders, and even an anonymous column that promises to stir debate.
Finally, thank you — to our team, our advisors, our sponsors, and to you, our readers, for opening this first digital issue.
The format may have changed, but the heart of TCT hasn’t. We still believe in magazines — and now, we get to build one that lives and breathes online.
