This is how the process could actually work:

The researchers, led by Dr. Gerd Leuchs, say that as individual atoms, ions and molecules form the basic building blocks of matter, our perception of the tangible materials formed from such building blocks through their interaction with light is key to our ability to manipulate them.

Complex objects such as nanostructures can be built and manipulated by understanding specific interactions they have with a light field. The manipulations may well prove to serve as the basis for potential applications in biophysics or quantum information processing, and the individual nanostructures themselves may serve as “building blocks” to create metamaterials.

If things progress to this level of precision, maufacturing around the world could be disrupted similar to the way the music industry has been disrupted by the internet.

Here is also an intro about the video below enjoy:

3D printing companies like Makerbot have already come a long way in advancing the technology of 3D printing; allowing the manufacture of everything from home furnishings to transplantable human organs. In this video from Fw:Thinking, Jonathan Strickland talks about the present and future of 3D printers.

thanks to 3dprint.com for the great info