Prolific Spanish designer Bernat Cuni has come up with a whimsical way to help bring the relatively new 3D ceramic printing process into the mainstream. Recently, he unleashed his creative energies on what he termed the "coffee cup-a-day" project to highlight the versatility and immediacy of what is also known as "additive manufacturing" – the layer by layer construction of tangible objects from digital models. The results, while not necessarily the most utilitarian, could be just the thing for the coffee drinker who has it all.

 

"The cups are designed as a creative exercise and as a proof of concept for digital fabrication, in order to achieve something unthinkable some time ago: Create a product from the idea to the consumer in less than 24 hours,"

"Surprisingly, the idea generation has been the easiest part of the project. I still have tons of cup ideas in my head that were not designed: a banana handle cup, a toilet cup, a Matrioska cup, a melted cup, a mustache cup …"

Bernat Cuni

Each of the thirty diminutive espresso cups in Cuni’s amusing array was conceived, designed, modeled and fabricated within a 24-hour period. They’re printed in food-safe, heat-resistant and recyclable glazed ceramics by Shapeways, a partner in the venture, but they aren’t inexpensive. Prices range from US$36 to $81 for the roughly 45 mm (1.7 inch) diameter cups made available for purchase.

 

The double espresso cup

The Siamese cup

The bird nest cup

The helvetica cup

The octocup

The knit cup

The fish scale cup

The kryptonite cup

The eroded cup

The fat cup

The deer cup

The Eiffel tower cup

The ninety degree cup

The studded cup