At Silmo Paris 2025, American eyewear company Tech Print Industries (TPI) is set to unveil its Design Gallery—a web-based platform powered by 3D printing that enables eyewear brands to design, customize, and produce frames without molds, warehouses, or waste.
The platform offers brands, retailers, and designers a streamlined 3D design environment with customizable shapes, textures, and materials—no CAD expertise required. New frames can be previewed instantly through virtual try-on, with pupillary distance adjustment ensuring an accurate fit across all face types. “We’re giving creators total control, from part selection to presentation, all without needing a warehouse or mold,” said Peter Friedfeld, VP of Business Development at TPI.
On-Demand Manufacturing with HP’s Multi Jet Fusion
Production is powered by HP’s Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) technology, enabling frames, hinges, nose pads, and temples to be printed on demand in both mono- and full-color. TPI is also debuting modular smart temple integration, combining customizable eyewear with built-in electronics for open-ear audio.
To accelerate the design-to-market cycle, TPI is introducing its AI Photoshoot Generator, a tool that creates brand-ready visuals without the need for physical prototypes or studio setups. This lets companies market entire collections before a single frame is produced.
At Silmo Paris, TPI will showcase collaborations with EveryWear, Eyewear Designer Riccardo Cervio, Jos Baijens, Liq Eyewear, RAYDIANT, and Monarc Optic, underscoring the design freedom and commercial potential made possible through additive manufacturing.
3D Printing in Eyewear Production
Advancements in additive manufacturing are altering traditional eyewear production methods. In 2023, GENERA launched its G1/F1 system for in-store 3D printing of glasses frames, allowing opticians to manufacture frames on demand. The system integrates Henkel’s “Digital Acetate” material, which offers high transparency and vibrant coloration. The platform, branded as Mission Eyewear, is designed to automate the production workflow, reducing manual labor and enabling direct customization at the point of sale.
Elsewhere, Spectra Additive, a company using DLP technology from Austrian manufacturer GENERA, began full-scale 3D printed eyewear production in December 2023. The firm partnered with material specialist Henkel to develop eyewear frames with high precision and repeatability, utilizing the Loctite 3D MED9851 resin. Their target production capacity for 2025 is 30,000 frames, reflecting an increasing shift toward additive manufacturing in the eyewear sector.
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Featured image shows Glasses made in collaboration with Liq Eyewear. Photo via TPI.
