Submitted photo Claudia and Erik Trujillo of Struthers moved to the area in 2018 to be closer to family and run their own 3D printing business, Truhero, which specializes in unique, hand-painted prints and collectibles.

STRUTHERS — During the holiday season, Claudia and Erik Trujillo had no problem finding that perfect gift for their children and family members. With their unique talent of 3D printing, the Trujillos make it all, and Erik said most of their inspiration for 3D items comes from their own passions.

“When we first started, we primarily printed items we’d want in our personal collections, which is why our work is often inspired by favorite anime, spooky / horror movies, video games and TV shows,” Erik said. “Our 6-year-old daughter also has a big say in what we print. She helps us pick out the cute, articulated minis in our inventory. These are simple for us to produce since the printer does most of the work. They are fun to play with, and customers love their look, feel and sound.”

Both Claudia and Erik are originally from Arizona and attended Yuma Union High School in Yuma, Arizona. They also lived in Denver, Colorado, for nine years. Erik said he and Claudia decided to move to the Mahoning Valley in October 2018 to be closer to family. He said his father-in-law, John Cook, is originally from the Youngstown area.

“Our daughter was only a few months old at the time, and the in-laws were doing everything to convince us to move out here,” Erik said.

The Trujillos have been vendors at numerous local art and artisan market events, including First Fridays Youngstown, Youngstown Flea, YoWest Fusion Fest at Westside Bowl, and Hola Fest Youngstown. The Trujillos got into the world of 3D printing in 2019 when their friends, Richard and Rebecca Clinton, got them interested.

“Prior to meeting them, we didn’t realize how accessible 3D printing was. I used to think a 3D printer would cost thousands of dollars, and Richard showed me that there are affordable options out there. He also helped me get through a lot of the more difficult troubleshooting and tinkering hurdles I faced in the beginning,” Erik said.

He said they don’t always design their own digital files. He said that while he and Claudia created many original designs and regularly take custom orders for things you can’t find online, they also save time and support other talented creators by purchasing (.stl) files.

“Some of our favorite 3D printer artists include Hex3D, Zou3D, CrystalWing, and FlexiFactory, whose designs have significantly inspired our work. To make our products stand out, we hand-paint most of our prints, adding detailed finishes you simply can’t get from standard multi-color printing,” Erik said.

When Erik is not creating 3D printed items, he is working as a building engineer at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown. He has done engineer work for concerts and events, including Phantoms Hockey, Disney on Ice and Trans Siberian Orchestra. He said that neither he nor Claudia has an art degree.

“Honestly, we sometimes struggle to view ourselves as ‘artists.’ Claudia is the more traditional artist. She paints and crafts rare, one-of-a-kind mixed-media pieces. I, on the other hand, focus on digital design, creating custom lightboxes and bringing Claudia’s ideas to life through 3D printing. We think of ourselves more as tinkerers and crafters than artists, but at the end of the day, our goal is to create things that bring joy, inspiration and creativity to others,” Erik said.

He said Truhero 3D specializes in unique, hand-painted 3D prints and collectibles. He said their creations are heavily inspired by the things they love, from anime and video games to horror movies and pop culture.

“Our product range includes articulated figures (a favorite among our customers), custom lightboxes with intricate designs, mixed-media art pieces that blend 3D printing with painting and other crafting techniques, seasonal and themed items perfect for gifting, and, of course, one-of-a-kind custom orders,” Erik said.

Erik and Claudia are always looking for new ways to push the boundaries of 3D printing and combine it with other artistic mediums.

“One of our projects right now is a stained-glass-inspired art piece. We 3D-printed a stained-glass pattern, applied it to a clear acrylic sheet, and painted it with gallery glass to create an awesome stained-glass effect. We’re also experimenting with incorporating lighting into our designs to make dynamic pieces that come to life in any setting,” Erik said.

As far as plans for 2025, Trujillo said Truhero 3D hopes to expand in many exciting ways. He said that ultimately, they want to continue bringing joy and creativity to their customers while growing their presence in the community.

“We plan on expanding through events and markets, our online presence, new creations and a top secret plan. We have plans that we are very excited about, but don’t want to share quite yet,” Erik said.

To suggest a Friday profile, contact Metro Editor Marly Reichert at mreichert@tribtoday.com or Features Editor Ashley Fox at afox@tribtoday.com.