Overview & Key Outcomes
When Rosalina Cerritos, a student at Toronto Metropolitan University, set out to create embossed art pieces for her school's Fall exhibition "Roots/Routing: Works-so-far from the Creative Research Intensive Summer Program", she faced a challenge familiar to many emerging artists: how to turn a delicate vision into a manufacturable reality. Partnering with 3DSPRO, she was able to bring "Kukulkán and The Cosmic Memory Box" to life using SLA 3D Printing with quality resin white. Despite technical risks, the project was delivered on time, preserved the intricate details of her work, and ultimately showcased her creativity in front of a wider audience.
Image Source: Rosalina Cerritos
About the Project
Rosalina's pieces were designed for TMU's collective exhibition, held from September 11 to October 11. Her embossed designs carried both artistic flair and technical complexity, requiring a production partner who could respect the integrity of her vision while navigating the realities of 3D printing.
"Kukulkán and The Cosmic Memory Box engages with themes of immigration, land, memory, and Mesoamerican mythology. At its core is a personal archive: photographs and materials from my early childhood, captured in the first years after immigrating with my family from Mexico to Canada. These fragments, which are part document, part memory trace, serve as the foundation for an experimental work that seeks to reframe personal history within a broader cultural and diasporic context."
"By integrating 3D modelling, 3D printing, and expanded digital moving image practices, I explore how these materials can be transformed into digital imprints, textural forms, and sculptural surfaces," Rosalina explains. "This project examines how technology can be used not just as a tool of reproduction, but as a means of storytelling, mark-making, and emotional translation. Through these processes, the archive becomes a site of reconstruction as well as a way to reimagine identity, belonging, and the continuity of ancestral knowledge in the context of migration."
"This work invites viewers into a multi-sensorial experience where memory becomes material and mythology is reactivated through form, texture, and movement. The installation combines sculptural 3D printed elements with moving image, offering a space for reflection on cultural hybridity, fragmented histories, and the act of remembering."
Image Source: Rosalina Cerritos
Project Objectives
The project aimed to:
• Present Rosalina’s creativity in a professional exhibition setting
• Preserve fine artistic details while ensuring manufacturability
• Achieve optical thin walls that transmit light for visual impact
• Deliver the finished pieces within a strict exhibition timeline
• Create a space for reflection on cultural hybridity, fragmented histories, and the act of remembering
Image Source: Rosalina Cerritos
Challenges Identified
As 3DSPRO reviewed the drawings, one issue stood out: thin-wall risks. Large areas of the design were too thin to guarantee reliable printing, which posed a manufacturability challenge, as fragile walls could compromise the final output. Yet, the thin walls were not a flaw; they were intentional, designed to let light shine through.
"I have incorporated 3D printing in previous art installations, and I wanted to continue using this method for my current project," Rosalina notes. "However, I had difficulty successfully printing these specific models on my own. With limited time, I needed a professional, reliable service that could deliver high-quality results."
Balancing this artistic requirement with technical feasibility became the heart of the project.
Solutions Provided
3DSPRO worked closely with Rosalina to find the right balance:
• Material Guidance: She initially considered transparent resin with polishing. After exploring options, she chose quality white resin, which offered durability while still allowing light transmission through thin walls. "I sought a material that could retain and showcase the intricate details of my design, especially those meant to be enhanced through illumination," Rosalina explains.
• Technology: SLA 3D Printing was selected for its precision and ability to capture fine embossed details, while supporting the optical requirement.
• Pricing Support: Recognizing the constraints of a student project, 3DSPRO extended a student discount, making the work financially feasible.
• Post-Processing: Rosalina opted out of post-processing to preserve the raw detail and maintain the optical properties of the thin walls.
"3DSPRO exceeded my expectations," Rosalina reflects. "They guided me through the entire process, from choosing the right materials and finishes to ensuring the pieces were delivered right on schedule."
Image Source: 3DSPRO
Production & Delivery
The production and shipping window ran from August 28 to September 5, a total of nine days. Logistics and customs clearance were smooth, ensuring the pieces arrived well ahead of the exhibition. Despite the manufacturability risks, the prints were completed successfully, maintaining both the integrity of Rosalina’s original drawings and the optical thin-wall effect she envisioned.
"I'm extremely happy with how all the different elements of the work came together," says Rosalina, "and I am especially grateful for the support 3DSPRO provided in bringing the 3D prints for this project to life."
Image Source: Rosalina Cerritos
3DSPRO Is Dedicated to Helping Students
We believe that every student's idea deserves the chance to be realized, no matter how ambitious or technically challenging it may seem. When Rosalina came to us with her embossed art pieces for Kukulkán and The Cosmic Memory Box, we immediately recognized both the creativity and the complexity of her vision. Her requirement for thin walls that could transmit light was not just a technical detail but was the essence of her design. We knew this would push the limits of manufacturability, but we also knew it was worth the effort.
From the very beginning, we approached Rosalina's project with transparency and care. We explained the risks of thin-wall printing, guided her through material options, and ultimately recommended the right one to balance durability with the optical effect she needed. We respected her decision to skip post-processing, understanding that preserving raw detail was part of her artistic language.
"Overall, working with 3DSPRO has been a really positive experience," Rosalina emphasizes. "Their professionalism, friendly attitude, and understanding of my budget limitations as a university student were invaluable."
Supporting students means more than just delivering prints. It means listening, advising, and adapting to their circumstances. That's why we offered a student discount, ensuring that cost would not stand in the way of creativity. For us, this project was about empowering a student to see her vision come alive exactly as she imagined.
At 3DSPRO, we are proud to stand behind the next generation of creators, proving that when artistry meets engineering, innovation always finds a way.
Image Source: Rosalina Cerritos
✉️👉Contact 3DSPRO Customer Success Manager for student discount at success@3dspro.com
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