Solid-state materials based on van der Waals (vdW) crystals continue to expand rapidly, with a vast library of compositions documented to date, that are realized through various synthesis approaches, such as vapor-growth, liquid phase exfoliation, and mechanical exfoliation. Their attractive electronic, opto-electronic, and strain-dependent properties offer intriguing prospects for devices. The strong light-matter interactions in many two-dimensional (2D) layered materials possessing a bandgapBandgap reveal a rich interplay of exciton-based multibody dynamics, non-linear optical features, and strain-modulated emission. Besides the individual crystallites, their pristine interfacial structural attributes also facilitate the lego-like construction of vdW heterostructures, in a single system-on-chip framework. In this work, we report on the optical propertiesOptical properties of 2D WSe2 using pristine mechanically exfoliated crystallites, where strain-dependent emission characteristics are discussed, as well as solution-cast 2D WSe2, where photoabsorption experiments are conducted on additively manufactured films.