If you already own a desktop 3D printer, you may be familiar with the process: find a model online, download the file, adjust the printing parameters, and print it. 3D printing has lowered the barrier to manufacturing, allowing more people to turn digital models into physical products at home, in studios, or in maker spaces.

But what happens when the object you want to print does not exist in an existing model library, or when you want the final product to fit a specific person, object, or real-world application? A new question comes up: Where does the model come from?

This is where 3D scanning and 3D printing come together. 3D scanning can capture people, objects, and spaces from the real world as digital 3D data. The data can then be modified, reconstructed, and redesigned digitally before being sent to a 3D printer to create a physical product.

From this perspective, 3D printing is not limited to printing models downloaded from the internet. Once 3D scanning is added to the workflow, the real world itself can become your source of 3D models.

3D Scanning → Digital Design → 3D Printing → Real-World Application

This is the complete workflow explored in this article.

What Is the Relationship Between 3D Scanning and 3D Printing?

3D scanning and 3D printing solve two different problems. 3D scanning is used to capture 3D data from the real world, converting real people, objects, or spaces into digital models. 3D printing, on the other hand, uses digital models to manufacture physical objects, turning a digital design into a tangible product.

If the entire process is viewed as a production chain, 3D scanning is primarily the data acquisition stage, while 3D printing is part of the manufacturing stage. Between them is another important step: digital design. This is why 3D scanning is not always simply about “scanning and printing.” Some scanned data can be used directly for certain printing applications, while other projects require further design, modification, or optimization based on the intended use.

For users who already own a 3D printer, one of the key benefits of 3D scanning is that when an existing model is not available, you can start with a real-world object and create your own 3D data. 

The complete workflow can be understood as: Real-World Object → 3D Scanning → 3D Data → Digital Design → 3D Printing → Real-World Application.

Step One: 3D Scanning Turns the Real World into a Digital Model

3D scanning is a technology used to capture the shape and spatial information of a real-world object as digital 3D data. Unlike creating a model entirely from scratch, 3D scanning first addresses a fundamental question: How do you obtain a 3D model of a real object?

The shape of a person's head, body, or face, the geometry of a mechanical component, the actual dimensions of an automotive part, or even the irregular surface of a wall can all be captured as digital 3D data through 3D scanning.

For 3D printing users, this step can be particularly valuable. In many cases, the object they want to make does not have an existing CAD file or downloadable 3D model. Rebuilding the model entirely through manual measurements and CAD modeling requires certain modeling skills and can become increasingly difficult when dealing with complex curves or irregular structures.

With 3D scanning, the real object can first be captured digitally, and the resulting scan data can then serve as the foundation for further design.

For example, scanning a person's head can produce 3D data corresponding to their actual head shape. Scanning a mechanical component can capture its physical geometry, while scanning a specific installation environment can provide the actual dimensions and surface relationships of the space.

In other words, 3D scanning helps solve the fundamental question of "Where does the model come from?"

Step Two: Digital Design Turns Scan Data into Your Own Design

Obtaining scan data does not mean the final product is already finished. 3D scanning digitally reproduces the shape of a real-world object, but deciding what to print and how the final product should look still requires design based on the intended application.

This is where digital design comes into play. Designers can adjust dimensions, modify structures, reconstruct specific areas, or add new design elements based on the scan data. In this way, 3D data captured from the real world can be transformed into a digital model that meets specific requirements.

For example, after scanning a person's head, the data can be used to create a digital human model, or it can serve as the foundation for designing personalized ears, headwear, masks, or other products. Similarly, after scanning a component, its original structure can be modified to create a new design rather than simply reproducing the original object.

Some applications may not require any major changes to the scanned object. If the processed scan data already meets the requirements for printing, it can proceed directly to the 3D printing stage. Therefore, there is no fixed "scan once, then design once"workflow. The next step depends on the intended application. 3D scanning captures real-world data, while digital design gives that data the potential to be further modified, created, and used.

Step Three: 3D Printing Turns Digital Designs into Physical Products

Once the digital model is ready, it can move into the 3D printing stage.

Based on the final digital model and printing parameters, a 3D printer manufactures the object layer by layer. For desktop 3D printing users, this process may already be familiar. But when the model comes from a 3D scan, the role of 3D printing changes slightly.

Traditionally, the workflow is often “model first, then print.” With 3D scanning added to the process, it can become "start with a real object, obtain the model, and then print it." A person can be scanned and turned into a physical model. A real component can be scanned and redesigned to create a modified structure. Even an irregular wall can become part of the design data.This makes 3D printing more than a way to manufacture existing digital models. It becomes the final manufacturing stage of a complete digital workflow.

From a real-world object to a usable physical product, the complete process can be summarized as: 3D Scanning → Digital Design → 3D Printing → Real-World Application.

Scanning turns reality into data, digital design transforms that data into a new product concept, and 3D printing turns the digital design into a physical product.

What Can You Do with 3D Scanning × 3D Printing?

When 3D scanning, digital design, and 3D printing are combined, the applications go far beyond creating figurines of real people. For creators, makers, studios, and users interested in personalized manufacturing, people, objects, and environments in the real world can all become starting points for digital design.

3D Scanning for People and Personalized Creations

Scanning real people is one of the most intuitive applications. With the 3DeVOK MQ entry-level color 3D scanner, users can capture the 3D shape of a person and either create a digital human model directly or take the scan data further into personalized design.

For example, a person's head can be scanned to capture their actual head shape, which can then be used to design customized ears, headwear, or other structures before producing the final product with a 3D printer. The value here is not simply "printing a person," but using real human 3D data as the foundation for personalized design and creating something specifically tailored to that individual.

Creative Modifications and Personalized Products

3D scanning can also support a wide range of creative modification projects. Real-world objects and environments often have irregular shapes and non-standard dimensions. By capturing their actual geometry through 3D scanning, users can incorporate real-world dimensions into digital design and then manufacture customized structures with a 3D printer.

For example, the irregular shape of a wall can be captured using the 3DeVOK MT professional 3D scanner. Based on the scanned data, a long-sword design can be digitally created to fit the wall structure, then 3D printed and embedded into the wall. In this way, 3D scanning goes beyond simply reproducing an existing object—it provides accurate real-world data that can be used to create new designs tailored to a specific environment.

Mechanical Parts and Product Reproduction

For mechanical components, equipment parts, and physical objects without original digital models, 3D scanning can quickly capture accurate 3D data for further design and reproduction. This is particularly useful for discontinued parts, components without CAD files, or objects with complex geometries. Starting from the physical object can reduce the need to measure and model everything from scratch.

For example, a Canadian automotive customization blogger used 3DeVOK MT 3D scanning together with a Bambu Lab 3D printer to reproduce a charging port for an RV. By scanning the original component to capture its actual shape and dimensions, then digitally designing and 3D printing the part, an object without an existing model could be turned back into a manufacturable digital model.

Heritage Digitization and Restoration

In cultural heritage preservation, 3D scanning can capture fragile artifacts without physical contact and convert their complex shapes and surface details into digital 3D data, providing a foundation for digital reconstruction and restoration.

At the Zhejiang Provincial Museum, the 3DeVOK MT professional 3D scanner was used to digitally capture fragmented ancient ceramics, including glaze crackles, chipped edges, and traces of natural erosion. Based on the scanned data, the restoration team digitally reconstructed the missing structures and developed restoration plans. The reconstructed components were then produced using DLP 3D printing, creating transparent restoration inserts that could be fitted with the original ceramic fragments.

This project demonstrates how 3D scanning → digital reconstruction → 3D printing can bring digital technology into cultural heritage restoration while preserving the original artifacts and making the restoration process more visible and traceable.

Medical Rehabilitation and Human Body Data Applications

Human body shapes vary significantly from person to person. For products such as orthoses and assistive devices that need to fit the body, accurately capturing 3D human body data is an important foundation for digital design. Compared with traditional contact-based measurement methods, 3D scanning can quickly capture the surface geometry of the body and convert it into data for subsequent design.

In practical applications, scanned human body data can be combined with specific requirements for digital design and then manufactured through 3D printing. For example, in a related application at Zhongshan Chen Xinghai Hospital, the 3DeVOK MQ handheld 3D scanner was used to capture human body shape data, supporting the digital design and production of personalized assistive devices.

Helmets and Wearable Products

For wearable products such as helmets and masks that need to match the human body, 3D scanning can quickly capture 3D head data and provide an accurate foundation for personalized design.

During projects related to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, the iReal 2E 3D scanner, developed by iReal, the predecessor of 3DeVOK, was used to capture 3D head data from athletes of the Chinese national bobsleigh team. Based on the scanned head-shape data, the project team carried out personalized design and used SLS 3D printing to manufacture the helmet cushioning liner, creating customized equipment for the athletes.

This case demonstrates the complete workflow from 3D scanning → digital design → 3D printing → real-world application.

Automotive Customization and Reverse Engineering

Automotive customization is another typical application that combines 3D scanning and 3D printing. Many aftermarket parts do not have ready-made CAD models. Even when standard models are available, the actual dimensions, mounting position, and surrounding structures of a specific vehicle may differ. By scanning the actual vehicle components and installation areas, users can obtain accurate 3D data and use it for digital design, creating customized parts that can then be manufactured with a 3D printer.

For example, a Canadian automotive customization blogger used the 3DeVOK MT professional 3D scanner to scan the actual vehicle structure and create a customized pedal through digital design and 3D printing. The real-world vehicle data captured through 3D scanning became the basis for the subsequent customization and manufacturing process.

From "Printing Models" to "Making Your Own Products"

Desktop 3D printers have lowered the barrier to manufacturing. But for many users, the real limitation is not "Can I print it?” but rather "Does the model I want to print already exist?"

3D scanning fills this gap by providing a way to obtain models from the real world. Instead of relying entirely on ready-made digital models, users can start with a real person, a real object, or a real environment. After capturing 3D data through scanning, they can modify and create designs digitally before sending them to a 3D printer for manufacturing.

For users who already own a 3D printer, the value of 3D scanning is therefore more than simply providing another way to create models. It opens up the possibility of bringing more real-world objects into a digital manufacturing workflow.

From scanning to design and then printing, the people and objects around you can all become starting points for creation.

3DeVOK 3D Scanning × 3D Printing: Make Reality Your Model Library

3DeVOK focuses on professional 3D digitization, providing 3D data acquisition capabilities for people, objects, and a wide range of creative manufacturing applications. For creators, makers, studios, and 3D printing enthusiasts who already own desktop 3D printers, 3DeVOK can serve as a data entry point for bringing real-world objects into a digital manufacturing workflow.

Take the 3DeVOK MQ color 3D scanner as an example. It supports human body scanning and uses infrared structured light and infrared speckle technologies, making it suitable for applications including people scanning, creative design, and 3D printing. Combined with digital design software and a desktop 3D printer, users can start with a real-world object, capture its 3D data, and then turn their ideas into physical products.

From capturing real-world data through 3D scanning, to digital design, 3D printing, and final application, this workflow gives real-world objects that previously had no digital model the opportunity to become part of your own creative process.

Make reality your next 3D model.

With a 3D printer, you do not have to rely only on models downloaded from the internet. Use 3DeVOK to capture 3D data from the real world and take your ideas from scanning and design to 3D printing and beyond.

Explore 3DeVOK 3D Scanning Solutions →

FAQ

Can a 3D scanner be used for 3D printing?

Yes. A 3D scanner can capture people, objects, and other real-world subjects as 3D data. After the necessary data processing and digital design, the data can be used for 3D printing.

Can a 3D-scanned model be 3D printed directly?

Some scanned models can be printed directly, but not all scan data is ready for 3D printing. The model may need to be checked for completeness, watertightness, dimensions, and structural requirements before printing.

Can you 3D scan a person and 3D print them?

Yes. A person's 3D data can be captured through 3D scanning, processed and designed into a digital model, and then manufactured as a physical model through 3D printing.

Why is digital design needed after 3D scanning?

3D scanning primarily captures and reproduces the real-world shape, while digital design allows the scan data to be modified, optimized, and creatively developed. For applications such as personalized products, creative modifications, and reverse engineering, digital design is often an important link between scan data and the final product.

What is the difference between 3D scanning and 3D printing?

3D scanning is primarily used to capture 3D data from real-world objects, while 3D printing uses digital models to manufacture physical objects. Simply put, 3D scanning captures the data, while 3D printing manufactures the physical product.

What can you do with 3D scanning besides making human figurines?

Beyond human models, 3D scanning can be used for personalized creations, creative modifications, mechanical part reproduction, cultural heritage digitization, assistive device design, helmet and wearable product design, automotive customization, and reverse engineering.

Is a 3D scanner worth having if I already own a 3D printer?

If you want to do more than print ready-made models and instead create your own 3D models from real people, objects, or environments, a 3D scanner can complement your 3D printing workflow by providing the data acquisition stage. It allows real-world objects to become inputs for your digital design and 3D printing projects.