Adobe Systems (ADBE 1.29%) just added 3-D printing capabilities to its Photoshop Creative Cloud software.
Photoshop aims to take complexity out of the 3-D printing experience. The software will automatically "waterproof" models before printing, and also adds support structures to prevent the model from collapsing during the printing process.
Photoshop can send print jobs to printers like the 3D Systems Cube, pictured here. Image source: 3D Systems.
The new printing function supports four specific printer models from 3D Systems (DDD 0.57%) and Stratasys (SSYS 0.61%). For users who don't own a 3-D printer, Photoshop can also send print jobs to the Shapeways printing service. The finished item is then returned to the user by mail.
Adobe shares didn't move on the news, but the new Photoshop feature seems to have lit a fire under Stratasys and 3D Systems shares. Stratasys, which owns the supported MakerBot brand, jumped as much as 2.1% from yesterday's close. 3D Systems, which sells supported systems under its own name as well as the ZCorp brand, soared as much as 4.4%.
By adding 3-D printing support to Photoshop, where the user interface already is familiar to many professionals in creative fields like graphic design, Adobe hopes to "turbocharge" the budding 3-D printing market.
"With the huge adoption of Adobe Photoshop CC, this announcement means that a massive influx of people will now have access to 3D modeling tools," said Bre Pettis, CEO of Stratasys' MakerBot division, in Adobe's press release.
