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Colorjet 3d printer


ColorJet Printing (CJP) | 3D Systems

What Is ColorJet Printing?

ColorJet Printing (CJP) is an additive manufacturing technology with two main components: core material and binder. The core material is spread in thin layers over the build platform with a roller. After each layer is spread, color binder is selectively jetted from inkjet print heads, causing the core to solidify. The build platform lowers to allow every subsequent layer to be spread and printed, resulting in a full-color three-dimensional model.

Applications

  • Architectural models
  • Demonstration models
  • Concept models

ColorJet 3D Printers

ProJet CJP 660Pro

Full CMYK, photo-realistic, integrated 3D printing solution

ProJet CJP 860Pro

Large-scale, full CMYK photo-realistic color 3D printing

Explore Other Technologies

  • 3D printing with plastics offers many choices for engineering grade materials, elastomers and composites. Do you need flexibility? Strength? Bio-compatibility? More?

  • 3D print with plastics to build almost anything - used for prototyping, manufacturing, anatomical models and more. Select a plastic material and 3D technology to deliver the characteristics you need.

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ColorJet 3D Printing | Custom Displays & Models 3D Printed

RapidMade

ColorJet 3D printers are some of the fastest on the market, with turnaround in as little as one day. They also offer the widest range of colors in the industry, with over 390,000 options to choose from.

ColorJet printing is ideal for creating eye-catching models, marketing displays or cross sections. Although its ceramic-like composite is not strong enough for most industrial applications, it is a good option for quickly creating inexpensive form/fit prototypes. For industrial-strength 3D printed plastic, check out our Multi Jet Fusion printing services or our 5-Minute Buyer’s Guide to learn about all of our services.

ColorJet 3D Printing, On Demand

Get a quote that works for you with our Instant Quote and Classic Quote tools. Instantly quote and order 3D printed parts for Multi Jet Fusion, FDM, PolyJet, ColorJet and Direct Metal with Instant Quote, or use Classic Quote to get a quote in under 24 hours for all of our manufacturing and engineering services!

 

Previous

ColorJet Design Guidelines

ColorJet prints go though two-stages of post-processing:

1) The parts are taken off the printer, and any excess powdered material is removed by compressed air. Parts in this stage are delicate and prone to breakage. For this reason, it is important to adhere to guidelines for detail thickness.

2) Once all excess material is removed, the parts are then infused with cyanoacrylate (AKA superglue) to give them rigidity and strength. Once this is complete, the parts have reached their full strength and are much less likely to break.

Please note that these are are guidelines, not hard-and-fast rules. Follow these, and you should be in pretty good shape. We’ll let you know if we see any problems with your design. 

ParameterInchesMilimeters
Maximum Part Size15 x 10 x 8*381 x 254 x 203*
Minimum Supported Wall Thickness0.0802.00
Minimum Unsupported Wall Thickness0.0601.50
Minimum Supported Bosses0.0802.00
Minimum Unsupported Bosses0. 0601.50
Minimum Embossed Detail (Height and Width)0.0150.40
Minimum Engraved Detail (Height and Width)0.0150.40
Clearance Between Parts/Bodies0.0200.50

*Build volume is 10 x 15 x 8 inches. Larger models can be made in sections and pieced together after printing.

Material Properties

This data is provided for the convenience of our customers. It does not on its own represent a sufficient basis for any part design, nor does it provide any agreement about or guarantee the specific properties of a product or part or the suitability of a product or part for a specific application. It is the responsibility of the producer or customer of a part to check its properties as well as its suitability for a particular purpose. This also applies to any possible intellectual property rights as well as regional laws and regulations. The data are subject to change without notice.

PropertyImperial (KSI)Metric (MPa)
Elastic Modulus1,3009450
Tensile Strength2.0614.20
Flexural Strength4.5131.1
Flexural Modulus1,0307163
Elongation at Break0.23%0.23%

3D color printing - how it works

3D color printing - how it works

Color 3D printing - how it works

3D printing is a layer-by-layer method for virtually anything, from simple figurines to jewelry, weapons, and aerospace parts. Three-dimensional printing has long been an integral part of the creation of complex architectural and technological objects. Now 3D printing is actively developing and reaching the user level - fast and high-quality production of objects gives 3D technologies significant competitive advantages over traditional production methods. And color 3D printing opens up a lot of opportunities for creating various products in all their color diversity.

Today, the most commonly used color 3D printing material is gypsum, a material that allows printing photorealistic color models at a resolution of 600×540 dpi. Gypsum is ideal for 3D printing figurines, figurines, game characters, artwork, decorative and art objects, architectural models, corporate souvenirs and more. In general, the material can be described as hard, hard, brittle and slightly rough, perfect for stationary models.
The color 3D printing process is as follows:

  • First, a 3D model is created using special software such as: SolidWorks, Maya, Sketchup, Blender or any other similar software.
  • The model is then sliced ​​into separate images corresponding to each printed layer. The starting material for printing is gypsum powder, which is applied in an even layer on the base surface.
  • The printheads move in a horizontal plane, layer by layer, applying a glue-like substance and a tint of a predetermined color to a certain area of ​​the future model. The cycle is repeated until the 3D model is "grown".
  • After printing is completed, the finished product is carefully removed from the printer and cleaned of excess powder using a jet of compressed air.
  • Next, the object is completely immersed in glue, which fills all the micro-holes of the model, giving it the final hardness, color saturation and gloss. And the unused powder is automatically recycled and can be reused for 3D printing.
    3D printing is much faster than standard production technologies, and the products produced by professional 3D printers are of high quality, high precision and have a wide range of applications.

This video demonstrates how the CubicPrints 3D printing service creates colorful objects on the Zprinter 650 professional 3D printer.


color 3D printing with FDM 3D printer and markers

News

-printers using a homemade system for changing heads and permanent markers. Let's tell you how it works.

If Palette splicers or multi-material 3D printers from Prusa Research are beyond your means, try this simple project that requires only a simple, budget-friendly 3D printer and a set of markers. The 3D printer itself does not have to be redesigned, and after a simple modification, the models can be painted right during 3D printing using up to six felt-tip pens. It works like this: the printer prints a layer, then takes a marker and paints the plastic, then parks the marker and proceeds to laying the next layer. In general, this is a direct analogue of color 3D printers from XYZprinting, only in the latter, heads from office inkjet printers are used instead of felt-tip pens - there are much more shades, but the cost is much higher.

With the hardware side of things, everything is quite simple: you need to print fasteners and get felt-tip pens, more precisely permanent markers. The author uses an Ender-3 3D printer, where the marker cartridge is mounted on top of the BLTouch calibration sensor mount. If your 3D printer does not have a sensor, you will have to print and install a mount for it, and then a suitable cartridge for felt-tip pens, or come up with your own installation option. Additionally, you will need to print a platform for parking and backdrops with which felt-tip pens cling to the platform. Cartridges and backs are available in a variety of styles to fit Sharpie, Amazon Basics and Shuttle Art markers.

To prepare the G-code, you will have to use a special plug-in for the Cura slicer. In essence, the system simulates multi-material 3D printing, so you will need to generate additional “extruders” according to the number of felt-tip pens used and enter values ​​for parking and head positioning correction when switching from 3D printing to painting and vice versa. Just in case, it is recommended to increase the retract value so that the nozzle does not “snot” on the model during painting, as well as add additional walls and set the infill to at least 40% to compensate for the decrease in adhesion between the painted layers. There is no need to paint the entire layers, in most cases two perimeters are enough, but this value can also be set manually.

One interesting feature is interlacing, which is kind of like interlacing. As the author explains, in most cases it is enough to color every second layer, at the same time it helps to prevent mixing of shades when changing felt-tip pens. If necessary, you can paint each layer, for example, to get more saturated shades.

Interleaved (left) and non-interlaced (right) result

What materials it will work with is an interesting question that requires experimentation. The author himself uses a PLA plastic filament. Of course, for optimal reproduction of shades, it is desirable to use the most neutral filament - white or transparent.

Learn more