How to open a shop?

Become a Shapeways member

Get a PayPal account so we can pay you.

Upload models to Shapeways.

Click on your user profile. The link is "your name" at the top right of each page, next to "welcome"

On your profile page make sure that your Billing Address has been properly filled out and is correct. Then(under 3 Shop) click on the create shop button. You get to choose a URL and Shop title here. Think about these well.

You can then make a detailed description of your shop and upload a unique Logo for your shop. Press Upload after finding the photo and Save when you are done.

You can now write a detailed description of your Shop, click any categories your Shop belongs to and agree to our Terms of Service.


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Then you get to relax while we manually check everything you filled out.

You will then be notified by email that "tadaaa" you have opened a Shop.

Next, click on each model's model detail page. In the right column you can change the properties of that particular model.

Check Model Availability to see if you model is set to: "available to all" and "finished." This is outlined in the lovely green color below. Check Model View State to see that your model is set to "Show and Allow Ordering." This drop down menu is outlined in purple below.

These settings indicate that others can order the model and see it. The rights to your original design will always remain with you. You simply give us a license to print your model and sell it. You get to decide how much this license costs. You can at all times remove your model from Shapeways. When you do this ends the license and we can no longer produce models based on that design.

 
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You can now decide how much you would like to make on each model under the imaginatively titled heading "MakeYour Profit." We suggest you do a mark up of between 10-20% but the choice is entirely yours. We would recommend that you strike a healthy balance between avarice and affordability. If in doubt, lean towards affordability.

Save Changes by, pressing on the Save Changes button

You can now go to the URL of your Shop, this URL is, www.shapeways.com/shops/yourshopname. Where "yourshopname" is to be substituted for whatever it is you filled in for step 5. All models that are for sale will have a pink shopping cart logo on them when seen either in the main Shapeways gallery or in your Shop.

Just like in the real world out there, on Shapeways you will also find competing designers. To truly stand out with your unique Shop we have added some features to distinct your shop from all the others. Check them out here.

Tell all your friends, family, colleagues, people you stand next to on the subway about your Shop. Blog about it, put it on your MyFace or SpaceBook, spread that URL far and wide. Profit

Wow, 16 steps that's a lot of steps. Like four steps more than you would need to get rid of alcoholism. But, after successfully completing those steps as of now you are able to sell your own physical products worldwide. Global distribution, global shipping, putting a product on the market. These are all things that used to take months (or years) and thousands of dollars and you've now done it together with us in a few minutes (or hours) for free.

Take a moment to go: wow.

As much as we'd like to tell you that the only thing to do next is to lean back and pick out in which color you would like to have your Bugatti Veyron in (Dark Red M would seem to be nice), this is not true. You still will have to put considerable effort into designing things and we look forward to being at your side along every step of the way towards our shared success.

Any questions left? Read our FAQ's on shops 

Go open your own shop now!