Inventor Spotlight: Charles W. Hull

C4IP is honoring Charles W. Hull (born 1939), who has transformed manufacturing, medicine, and design through his invention of stereolithography — better known as 3D printing.

  • Hull was born in Clifton, Colorado, and studied engineering physics at the University of Colorado before joining Ultraviolet Products, a company that used UV light to solidify liquid plastic polymers.
  • Hull discovered that it was possible to “print” three-dimensional objects by arranging and solidifying plastic layers one at a time, a technique he patented in 1989.
  • Hull’s invention kickstarted the global 3D printing industry, which topped $20 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach nearly $90 billion by 2030.
    • The company Hull founded to commercialize his invention, 3D Systems, remains a major player in the industry today, with nearly $100 million in revenue in Q1 2025.
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