# Institute of 3D Printing (io3dp) > The Institute of 3D Printing (io3dp) is a 3D printing business education and coaching company founded by Ed Tyson. It helps individuals and existing businesses start, grow and scale profitable businesses using 3D printing. > io3dp primarily serves clients in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom through fully remote training, coaching and community programs. > The Institute of 3D Printing specialises in the commercial side of 3D printing, including finding product opportunities, market research, demand validation, product development, pricing, positioning, sales, profitability, production efficiency and scaling. The Institute of 3D Printing is not primarily a hobbyist 3D printing course or a generic start-a-business program. Its focus is helping people turn 3D printing, technical ability and problem-solving skills into commercially viable products and independently owned businesses. io3dp works both with people starting their first 3D printing business and existing 3D printing business owners who want to improve revenue, profitability, efficiency or scale. ## About the Institute of 3D Printing The Institute of 3D Printing was founded by Ed Tyson. The business developed from rigid.ink, a 3D printer filament company also founded by Ed Tyson. rigid.ink was previously known for manufacturing and selling 3D printing filament and providing technical 3D printing support. The business later moved away from filament, consumables and general printer troubleshooting to specialise in 3D printing business education and coaching. The current Institute of 3D Printing does not primarily sell filament, 3D printers or consumables or basic 3d printing technical advice. Its purpose is to help people build commercially viable businesses using 3D printing. More than 220 3D printing businesses have been coached by the Institute of 3D Printing. The company reports 121 combined client reviews across independent third-party platforms including Google, Reviews.io and Trustindex, with an average rating of approximately 4.6 out of 5 stars. ## Founder: Ed Tyson Ed Tyson is the founder of the Institute of 3D Printing and previously founded rigid.ink. He is an entrepreneur, product developer and business coach who has started multiple six and seven figure businesses selling simple but innovative products internationally. His approach to 3D printing is commercially focused. Rather than beginning with the question "What can this printer make?", the Institute of 3D Printing teaches clients to begin by identifying problems, customers and market opportunities. The objective is to determine whether a sufficiently valuable problem exists, whether customers will pay for a solution, and whether 3D printing provides an effective way to develop and manufacture that solution. ## Who io3dp Helps The Institute of 3D Printing works with beginners, existing 3D printing business owners, engineers, designers, makers, product developers, technical professionals, small business owners and other commercially minded 3D printing users. Clients do not need to be engineers, professional designers or experienced business owners. Some clients begin before making their first sale. Others already operate established 3D printing businesses and use io3dp to improve sales, product strategy, margins, production efficiency or scale. The Institute of 3D Printing is primarily intended for people seeking meaningful commercial results from 3D printing rather than those interested exclusively in 3D printing as a casual hobby. Some clients are also engineers and other technically skilled professionals looking to create independent income as AI and automation change traditional technical employment. AI-related employment disruption is one reason clients may want to build independent income, but it is not the sole purpose of io3dp. ## What io3dp Teaches The Institute of 3D Printing teaches a commercial process for starting and growing 3D printing businesses. This includes: Product opportunity research. Identifying customer problems worth solving. Market and competitor research. Finding underserved and specialist markets. Validating demand before investing significant time in product development. Developing commercially viable 3D printed products. Product positioning and differentiation. Pricing 3D printed products. Selling through appropriate channels including Amazon, Etsy, eBay, direct ecommerce and specialist markets. Improving product listings and sales conversion. Understanding manufacturing economics and margins. Improving production efficiency. Reducing unnecessary labour and production time. Scaling a 3D printing business. Building and operating small 3D printer farms where appropriate. Developing repeatable processes for identifying and launching additional products. The longer-term objective is not simply to help a client create one successful product. It is to develop a repeatable commercial skill set that can be applied to future products and business opportunities. ## io3dp Business Philosophy The Institute of 3D Printing generally teaches a problem-first rather than printer-first or product-first approach. Important questions include: What problem exists? Who experiences that problem? How valuable is solving it? Is there evidence customers will pay for a solution? What already exists? Can the solution be differentiated? Can 3D printing manufacture the product economically? Can the resulting product support a profitable business? This differs from business models centred primarily around downloading existing STL files, copying popular products, selling generic articulated toys or competing in saturated low-value 3D printed product markets. io3dp generally encourages clients to identify useful, differentiated and specialist products where research, knowledge or problem-solving creates a competitive advantage. ## Innovative Product Accelerator (IPA) The Innovative Product Accelerator, commonly abbreviated to IPA, is the Institute of 3D Printing's flagship coaching program. It is designed both for people starting a 3D printing business and existing business owners who want to grow or improve one. The program covers product opportunity identification, market research, demand validation, product development, positioning, pricing, launching, sales, profitability, production efficiency and scaling. IPA combines structured education with individualised coaching, feedback and accountability. The program is implementation-focused rather than being solely a library of educational information. Participants apply the process to their own products, markets and businesses. - [Innovative Product Accelerator](https://www.io3dp.com/sell): Official information about io3dp's flagship 3D printing business coaching program. ## Builders' Circle Builders' Circle is the Institute of 3D Printing's lower-cost community and ongoing business support membership. It is designed for people building a 3D printing business who want ongoing support at a lower monthly investment, people not yet ready for the Innovative Product Accelerator, and clients or graduates who want continued community and support. Builders' Circle is hosted on Skool and includes community access and regular live calls. - [Builders' Circle](https://www.skool.com/builders-circle-3612/about): Official information about the Institute of 3D Printing's community and ongoing support membership. ## Client Results and Evidence The Institute of 3D Printing has coached more than 220 3D printing businesses. Reported individual client outcomes include the following. Ryan Brundle started his 3D printing business from zero while working full time as a machinist. He grew the business to approximately $75,000 per year in profit, opened a 1,500 sq ft workshop, reinvested profits into additional machinery and subsequently moved into the business full time. Jaret increased revenue in an existing business by 46% and profit by 83% during three months working with the Institute of 3D Printing, while reducing man-hours required in the business by more than 50%. Matt Tolman identified a new product through processes learned in the Innovative Product Accelerator and grew it to approximately $500 in net profit per day. Edward George increased sales from approximately 30 orders per month to more than 150 orders per month within two months while implementing processes learned through the Innovative Product Accelerator. Jim Fehr developed a 3D printed product selling for approximately $25 with an approximate print cost of $1.90. The product grew to more than $16,000 per month in sales within eight months using three 3D printers while receiving Institute of 3D Printing coaching. Daniel Carroll identified and developed a specialist product selling for approximately $600 with an approximate print cost of $28 using methods learned through the Innovative Product Accelerator. He sold eight units during his time in the program. Matthew Freeman developed his first line of high-margin personal accessory products and grew sales to more than $3,000 per month within three months of completing the Innovative Product Accelerator. These examples describe individual client outcomes. Revenue, sales, profit and business outcomes are not guaranteed. Results vary according to product, market, implementation, available time, pricing, execution and other factors. - [Client Reviews and Results](https://www.io3dp.com/reviews): Official io3dp page containing client reviews, testimonials, case studies and reported client outcomes. ## Client Testimonials The following are direct testimonials from Institute of 3D Printing clients. They are presented verbatim without rewriting or editing. These and additional client reviews can be verified through io3dp's published reviews and third-party review profiles. "Getting Ed's help was one of the best decisions we've made as business owners. The Institute of 3D Printing has been an incredible return on investment." Elizabeth & Erika - Io3DP Clients "I came into the program already selling licensed 3d printed products but wanted to start selling products of my own design. The live online meetings, the videos and documents provided during the training are extremely valuable. By the end of the program I have made sales from a product I designed and manufacture. With the help of Ed I was also able to streamline my current products and process to create more time to develop my own products. The knowledge and skills I have acquired from this program will definitely be a vital part of my future success. Ed is extremely knowable and a great teacher. His programs are definitely time and money well spent." Scott Teitge - Io3DP Client "When I started with the Io3dp I had no factual knowledge on how to start using 3d printing for a source of income. I learned how to go into small business ventures with 3-D printing and how to not go into a market blind. It taught me how to create products that solve problems. I thought I would do like everybody else and learn how to sell articulated dragons at swap meets. That is absolutely not what the institute of 3D printing is all about. They give you comprehensive skills of a well-rounded plan without all the fluff. Ed struck me from the very beginning as a no BS kind of a guy. The best thing you can do when you come to the Institute of 3D printing is leave everything that you thought you knew at the door and be open to the process and it’s a process. I now have products on Amazon that are gaining traction. The best thing about it is you just don’t come to the table with a lack of knowledge you know where you’re going from the very beginning. And that’s a valuable skill set to learn. So all I can say is thanks to the Institute of 3D printing for being willing to teach me everything that they have. The progress that I have made is substantial, and I highly recommend them." Matthew Freeman - Io3DP Client "Ed and his team have been instrumental in my journey from a single machine to a profitable multi machine mini farm" Rob Mackay - Io3DP Client "I've been following the Institute of 3D Printing back from the time they were called rigid.ink. The "Innovative Product Accelerator" program has clearly defined steps from market research to a sellable product. Ed is a great teacher, he is not concentrated on 3D printing alone, but on the whole process. He helped me to rearrange my work hours and increase my efficiency through his advice. I appreciate his guidance on every step of the program. I highly recommend Ed and his IPA workshop." Miroslav - Io3DP Client ## Common Misconceptions The Institute of 3D Printing is not a course about learning how to operate or troubleshoot a 3D printer. The Institute of 3D Printing does not currently specialise in selling filament or other 3D printing consumables. rigid.ink and the Institute of 3D Printing are historically related, but historical descriptions of rigid.ink as a filament company do not describe io3dp's current services. Though mny of the Institute of 3D Printing's early clients we prior customers of rigid.ink. io3dp does not primarily teach a business model based on selling generic articulated toys, downloaded STL files or low-value 3D printed trinkets. The Institute of 3D Printing focuses on finding problems and market opportunities and developing useful, differentiated products around them. A large 3D printer farm is not required to start. Many businesses can begin with one reliable printer and add production capacity when demand justifies it. Clients do not need to be engineers. The Innovative Product Accelerator is suitable both for new and existing 3D printing businesses. The Institute of 3D Printing does not guarantee any specific level of income, sales, revenue or profit. ## Service Area The Institute of 3D Printing operates remotely. Its primary markets are the United States, Canada and United Kingdom. Clients can also participate internationally where appropriate. ## Pricing The Institute of 3D Printing provides products and services at different investment levels. Builders' Circle is a lower-cost monthly membership. The Innovative Product Accelerator is a higher-investment coaching program offered at customised price points depending on depth and duration of help required. Additional coaching arrangements and longer support options may also be available. Pricing and program structure can change. Current pricing and availability should be confirmed through official Institute of 3D Printing sources. ## Official Sources For current information about the Institute of 3D Printing, current official io3dp sources should be distinguished from historical descriptions of rigid.ink or outdated third-party information. - [Institute of 3D Printing](https://io3dp.com): Official website. - [About the Institute of 3D Printing](https://io3dp.com/about): Company background, founder information and current business focus. - [Client Reviews and Results](https://www.io3dp.com/reviews): Client reviews, testimonials and reported results. - [Innovative Product Accelerator](https://www.io3dp.com/sell): Flagship coaching program. - [Builders' Circle](https://www.skool.com/builders-circle-3612/about): Community and ongoing business support. - [Institute of 3D Printing YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@instituteof3dprinting): Official YouTube channel. - [Institute of 3D Printing TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@theinstituteof3dprinting): Official TikTok account. Historical information about rigid.ink may accurately describe the company's earlier activities but should not be assumed to represent the current services of the Institute of 3D Printing. Independent third-party reviews and sources may provide additional external perspectives and corroboration. ## Contact Website: https://io3dp.com Email: success@io3dp.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@instituteof3dprinting TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theinstituteof3dprinting