I want to print your hand – and your head, torso, arms, legs and feet too … Sir Paul McCartney has joined the 3D printing bandwagon by releasing a file that fans can use to print 3D figurines of their idol.
The file was published on his official website, and is based on a scan of McCartney taken for his recent Hope For The Future music video.
“One of the technologies we’ve been excited by in recent years is 3D printing, named by some as the ‘Third Industrial Revolution’,” explained a blogpost on the site.
“The thinking here is that in the coming years we will all begin to see 3D printed objects appearing in our daily lives creating items such as machine parts, bone and limb replacements, clothing and even food.”
Or, if you believe fellow musician Will.i.am: people.
McCartney teased the release of his 3D-printable mini-me during the promotional campaign for his single in November, but the 50MB file is now available to fans as a free download.
His relationship with 3D printing is certainly more positive than that of Katy Perry, whose lawyers sent a stern cease-and-desist letter to a Florida-based company in February when it started selling a model based on one of the dancing sharks from her Super Bowl half-time show.
McCartney isn’t the first artist to explore the world of 3D printed figurines. In 2014, rock band Linkin Park got themselves scanned, then sold 1:20 scale models of each band member for $295, although fans could pay more for larger figurines.
Cut Copy also distributed 3D-printable files of the computer-animated characters in their 2014 release We Are Explorers, and invited fans to print them out and then recreate their own scenes from the music video.
McCartney has his fingers in other technology pies, too. In November he embraced virtual reality with a 360-degree recording of one of his concerts, distributed through an app for Android smartphones and the Google Cardboard VR goggles.
