• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Iran strikes 85 U.S. military sites in the Gulf, sparking a global selloff in stocks and a spike in the price of oil

2

Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it

3

Current price of gold as of July 8, 2026

1

Iran strikes 85 U.S. military sites in the Gulf, sparking a global selloff in stocks and a spike in the price of oil

2

Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it

3

Current price of gold as of July 8, 2026
TechCES

Meet the 3D Printer That Uses 2D Paper

By
Andrew Zaleski
Andrew Zaleski
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Andrew Zaleski
Andrew Zaleski
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 6, 2016, 10:00 AM ET
Courtesy of Mcor
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Here’s something that sounds too good to be true: a 3D printer that churns out objects in full color and uses everyday office paper (instead of plastic) as the build material.

But that’s what Mcor Technologies plans to unveil today at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas when it shows off its new 3D printer, Arke. The product is also a CES Best of Innovation Awards Honoree in the show’s 3D printing product category. Founded a decade ago in Ireland by two brothers, Mcor released the Iris—an industrial-size, paper-based, full-color printer—in 2013. The Arke is the desktop version of that larger printer.

3D printing technology isn’t new. The common methods of doing so now—building up layers of plastic, fusing together powdered metals, or applying a laser to a pool of resin—have made great leaps within the last five years.

But after several years of 3D-printing hype—fueled by the potential companies and consumers saw in the technology—the temperature of the 3D industry has cooled. Analysts have noted that the technology is still too difficult and costly to drive mainstream adoption.

SIGN UP: Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter about the business of technology.

In the desktop market for 3D printers, the best known names have recently faltered. MakerBot, purchased by professional 3D printing giant Stratasys (“SSYS”) in 2013, laid off workers twice in 2015. Stratasys competitor 3D Systems (“DDD”) announced at December’s end that it was getting out of desktop 3D printing entirely. The push over the last year has been on deriving easier, faster, and cheaper means of producing 3D-printed objects, and that’s what Mcor is trying to do.

“We had this very simple idea: If we could build a printer that had zero running costs, that would make people want the technology,” said CEO and co-founder Conor MacCormack in a call with Fortune.

MacCormack believes he and his brother, Fintan, have found that with the Arke. Instead of plastics or other materials, the printer uses an adhesive to stick together sheets of paper fed into the machine in a fashion similar to that of 2D laser printers. Once sheets of paper have been layered on top of one another, a slicer cuts the profile of the shape being printed. What the machine spits out at the end looks like a block of office paper, but the finished print is actually on the inside. The sections of paper sheets that are glued together more strongly make up the 3D print, while the sections of paper sheets loosely adhered serve as a support structure to keep the 3D print intact until it’s finished. When complete, a person peels away the excess paper, leaving behind the final 3D print.

It seems implausible, but the MacCormack brothers have used this technology to print a number of objects, including models of buildings, convincingly edible replicas of fruit, a bust of President Obama’s head, and a hammer strong enough to drive a nail into a board.

“Paper is incredibly strong when you layer it up,” said MacCormack. “Think of paper like a scaffold, and then you can put into it a resin, so you can get things that are really, really hard.”

The other exciting innovation found in the Arke is full color, something that has been lacking in the desktop 3D printing market. Mcor’s printer color inks in high resolutions, as the most advanced 2D printer available today would, onto the paper 3D-printed object. “Our definition of full color is any color at any time,” MacCormack said. “We’re standing on the shoulders of the 2D-printing world.”

WATCH: For more Fortune coverage on 3D printing, watch this video:

The company declined to share its revenue numbers, but Mcor said it has sold its Iris 3D printers to customers in 60 countries who use it mostly for modeling and prototyping. As for the Arke, which becomes available in the second quarter of this year for about $6,000, MacCormack said Mcor has taken 2,500 pre-orders so far. His plan is to go after the education market first, by positioning the Arke as a cheaper, desktop 3D-printing alternative to other machines that require plastic filament.

“The big change is going to be in education,” he said. “And color is one very important missing piece.”

About the Author
By Andrew Zaleski
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

‘Sony essentially destroys its own defense’: How its disc-free PS5 plan triggered a $457M lawsuit and  undercut its antitrust defense
LawSony
‘Sony essentially destroys its own defense’: How its disc-free PS5 plan triggered a $457M lawsuit and  undercut its antitrust defense
By Mia OsmonbekovJuly 9, 2026
32 minutes ago
Fed’s Williams says AI is now his main inflation concern
EconomyFederal Reserve
Fed’s Williams says AI is now his main inflation concern
By Maria Eloisa Capurro and BloombergJuly 9, 2026
49 minutes ago
Altman says OpenAI made ‘many changes’ during talks with U.S.
AISam Altman
Altman says OpenAI made ‘many changes’ during talks with U.S.
By Lorelei Smillie and BloombergJuly 9, 2026
1 hour ago
Companies still don’t know how to incorporate AI in a holistic way, says Wharton expert
AICFO Daily
Companies still don’t know how to incorporate AI in a holistic way, says Wharton expert
By Sheryl EstradaJuly 9, 2026
3 hours ago
The crypto startup trying to put a barrel of oil on blockchain
Cryptocrude oil
The crypto startup trying to put a barrel of oil on blockchain
By Mia Gindis, Sidhartha Shukla and BloombergJuly 9, 2026
4 hours ago
Starbucks taps AI to cut reliance on Microsoft, IBM software
AIStarbucks
Starbucks taps AI to cut reliance on Microsoft, IBM software
By Daniela Sirtori, Brody Ford and BloombergJuly 9, 2026
4 hours ago

Most Popular

Iran strikes 85 U.S. military sites in the Gulf, sparking a global selloff in stocks and a spike in the price of oil
Newsletters
Iran strikes 85 U.S. military sites in the Gulf, sparking a global selloff in stocks and a spike in the price of oil
By Jim EdwardsJuly 8, 2026
1 day ago
Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it
Success
Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it
By Preston ForeJuly 6, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of gold as of July 8, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of July 8, 2026
By Danny BakstJuly 8, 2026
1 day ago
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
AI
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 5, 2026
4 days ago
Current price of oil as of July 8, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 8, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 8, 2026
1 day ago
Mining CEO worth $24 billion nearly drowned and had to break his own leg in a freak hiking accident—he used the recovery time to go back to school
C-Suite
Mining CEO worth $24 billion nearly drowned and had to break his own leg in a freak hiking accident—he used the recovery time to go back to school
By Eleanor PringleJuly 8, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.