In an increasingly digital and networked world, artists may have a more difficult time earning for their art. iMakr wants to ensure that the designers in its own 3D printing community, MyMiniFactory, can pick up some extra cash from those that download their designs. For that reason, they’ve introduced a new tipping feature, allowing all content on the site to remain free.
While downloading an object, you’ll see a “TIP” button, allowing you to contribute a minimum of $2 to the designer via PayPal. Aside from a small transaction fee that goes to PayPal, none of your tip money will go to MyMiniFactory. Any designer registered on the site can register for the virtual tip jar by connecting their PayPal account. This allows designers to earn some money, without feeling the need to charge for their designs, as seen with other 3D printable sites. So, now you can grab this Monte Carlo Auto Rifle from Destiny and send some cash to Elliott Viles, the talented artist behind the work.
Or you can fund Stefanos Anagnostopolous for his kick-ass Wildlings Skull, from Game of Thrones. Learn more about how such designers as Stefanos practice their MyMiniFactory modeling skills in Davide Sher’s latest piece on the community here.
Last week, our guest writer Chris Dew described how the act of tipping might contribute to a larger social structure based around the Collaborative Commons. By tipping content creators that we like on the web, we might be able to forgo a world in which every YouTube video is preceded by some mind-numbing ad, by funding essential web platforms and our favorite artists. If you believe what Dew suggests, tipping is just one small component of what is an inevitable future. And, if you want to fund that future, don’t forget to tip!
