国际英语新闻:3-D printing taking shape

Most of Jiang's orders come from overseas, and he said his busiest time of the year is the Christmas holiday season. "People in the West are comparably wealthier and have more time to do their own things. Chinese people are all busy working," says Jiang.

Jiang says he came up with the idea to make 3-D printing pens when he was a student in Australia, after he saw his landlord using a 3-D printer to make pads and legs for chairs.

Jiang's pens cost 400 yuan. Although Chinese only account for a small part of his customer base, Jiang said their numbers are growing.

Chinese schools are also embracing 3-D printing technology.

Last year, a top middle school in Beijing - the High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China - offered a course that teaches students how to use 3-D printers.

The course was launched with assistance from Creatica, an education company that encourages children and teenagers to build stuff by hand. The course has been a hit among students, and many schools in Beijing have formed partnerships with Creatica, says Wei Qiao, co-founder of the company.

"You can't imagine how popular 3-D printing is among kids and teenagers," Wei says, adding that the technology allows children to see the world more vividly.

While young Chinese are embracing 3-D printing, there are still many issues facing its development.

Because of a lack of open-source websites on the mainland, some Chinese are forced to use foreign open source websites.

The websites are often in English, so understanding them can be difficult for Chinese with limited English skills. Also, there aren't many options for after-sales service, so those who build their own 3-D printers must make their own repairs when problems arise.

The technology is also time-consuming. Printing a single object can take up to eight hours.

"In the future, with more people joining the do-it-yourself movement, 3-D printers may one day become common household items," Zhang says.

However, Jiang says he believes 3-D printing will become a mainstream service, with 3-D printing shops opening on street corners next to the businesses that print paper and scan documents.