Easily one of the winners of marketing in the last few weeks has to be K-Mart, who brought out its “this is not a Christmas commercial” commercial, subtly promoting the various gift options for the upcoming Christmas shopping season while not actually saying that it's promoting Christmas gift options since Christmas shopping season, even for the early birds out there, is still quite some time off. With that, of course, comes the idea of gift guides, and one idea is already being pushed forth in the form of Dynamism's line of 3D printers and scanners, a terrific gift idea for that tech enthusiast out there.

Dynamism actually has several such printers and scanners from which to potentially choose a gift--not necessarily for Christmas, but the option is there—for the technologically-savvy friend or family member. The scanner, for example, is the Dynamism Matter and Form, a platform from which users can completely—in full 360 degree perspective—scan an item for later replication using one of the 3D printers. Essentially, it serves as the foundation of a 3D printing system, and uses a combination of high-definition cameras and a pair of lasers to build a 3D image of the object for later use. The Matter and Form is available for $579.

Meanwhile, the two 3D printers available from Dynamism include the Cel Robox and the Ultimaker 2. The Cel Robox is the comparative bargain of the two, made with desktop use in mind. It offers a single extruder, working with several different breeds of plastic filament ranging from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS (News - Alert)) plastic to nylon and even polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The Cel Robox can be had for $1,399, but shipping is free. The Ultimaker 2, meanwhile, steps things up significantly with a greater resolution overall, as well as improvements in its software allowing it to work with more file types than the Cel Robox. The Ultimaker 2 also steps things up on price substantially, asking $2,599, but likewise offering free shipping.

Granted, not too many are going to want to drop $2,600 for just one gift, especially with the economic picture the way it is. But while some might call this part of a gift guide, others can look at it and see the market for 3D printers in general starting to shape up. There are more options coming available, and at more price points. The idea that 3D printing is some kind of fad is likewise starting to boil off into a visible cloud, as more options become available. 3D printing was once reacted to with a kind of breathless fervor; the ideas that this was going to somehow replace manufacturing or be the predecessor of our very own Star Trek-style replicators were rampant. While the rumor mill has toned down somewhat, it's clear that excitement over the 3D printer has not. The device that's made everything from 3D-printed guns to 3D-printed prosthetic devices from strings of plastic is still making strides, and showing us an interesting potential future indeed.

So while this is not a Christmas article, those interested in picking up a 3D printer for that special holiday present—be it Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or yes, Christmas—won't go wanting for choice in the market. This is a field that's making some pretty big gains, and pretty soon, we may be getting much of what we want from our own PCs and a string of extruded plastic.