Multi colored 3d printer

Multicolor VS Full Color 3D Printers

I want to start with a pretty important distinction when talking about 3D printers that can print in multiple colors. 

Sometimes “full color” is a term used to describe these printers.  

And while this is technically true, “full color” more often describes industrial-grade printers that are able to produce intricate color scaling and manipulation (I included one of these on the list – the XRize Rize – for comparison’s sake).

On the other hand…

… we’re going to be mostly looking at multicolor 3D printers, which can usually handle only a small number of different colors, but which tend to fall under the “personal 3D printer” umbrella. 

They’re smaller and much, much less expensive.

All that said, multicolor printing is still a very experimental field – much less established than its industrial counterparts. 

Given the scarcity of personal 3D printers that can handle multiple colors, I’m going to be looking at every option on the market today, including dual-extruder printers where each extruder can print a separate color and multi-color printer upgrades.

So let’s take a look at the best multicolor 3D printers!

Can 3D Printers Do Multiple Colors?

3D printers can do multiple colors! However, the method varies between printers. Single-extruder printers rely on a method of manually switching out spools of filament, while multi-color printers do this process for you.

What is a Multi-Color 3D Printer?

A multi-color 3D printer is a device that 3D prints different filaments using multiple extruders and nozzles.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Multi-Color 3D Printer

The obvious advantages of a multi-color 3D printer: you get awesome multi-colored prints without having to manually swap filaments. Also, such printers are compatible with water-soluble filaments for easy support removal. 

The disadvantages: twice the extruders, twice the maintenance. Hot end assemblies can run into any number of issues — and dealing with two of them can be a hassle. Also, it’s much more expensive than a single-extruder printer. 

How Do You Print Two Colors?

If you have a single-extruder printer, you can pause and swap. 

What does this mean? 

Well, whenever you want to change colors in a print, you just stop the print and swap the filament. This can be a major chore, however, and with multi-color printers the process is much easier. 

First, you load your two spools onto the spool holder, and then you feed the filament into the printer. Then you just let it do its multi-colored magic!

Can You Paint 3D Printed Objects?

Yes, you definitely can! 

Acrylic and enamel paints are best for 3D printed surfaces. However, you’ll have to sand your 3D printed part first. This gets rid of visible layer lines and helps the paint stick better to the surface. 

A Few Final Thoughts…

So there you have it – a fairly comprehensive guide to multi-color 3D printing, the best (affordable) multicolor 3D printers out there, one crazy-expensive one, and an alternative option altogether!

When it comes to choosing your best color 3D printer, there are plenty of factors to keep in mind.

When making your decision, you should always consider what specific projects you have in mind and tailor your choice to fit. After all, if you’re looking to upgrade towards multicolor 3D printing, you probably have a couple of exciting ideas in the bag already.

Some of these 3D printers excel at color combining.

For color control, the Da Vinci provides an entirely different system from anything else on the list (besides the XRize) but does so at a higher price point and with a few concerning bugs.

Some color 3D printers come packed with excellent side features, like the Lotmaax Shark V3.

And others have an ingenious design that comes with other exciting applications, like the dual-nozzle design of the TenLog.

Anyway, your preferences will determine your best color 3D printer, so I’ll hand over the baton to you to make your choice.

You’ll be churning out those colorful 3D prints before you know it.

Our pick

LOTMAXX Shark V3

Great 3D printer for beginners

This printer cranked out quality prints right out of the box in our test. Comes with excellent, all-metal nozzle and extruder and many more features makes this the best value.

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So this was kind of an underdog story for me. When I first started looking for the best color 3D printer, the Lotmaxx wasn’t even on my radar.

Yet the more I learned about this 3D printer, the more I was impressed – both by its original design and by its execution. Not to mention that it’s a Kickstarter success and really demonstrates the best aspects of grassroots ingenuity coming out of the color 3D printing field.

Not only is the Lotmaxx an excellent base 3D printer capable of color 3D printing, but it also comes with some innovative features that I haven’t seen in a single other color 3D printer.

The laser engraving upgrade opens up new doors in creative design. The auto bed-leveling works pretty well, and the handheld removable touch-screen is something I haven’t seen in any other 3D printers, no matter what price point.

And to speak on the price… all of this costs less than $500.

Typically, when I review 3D printers by newly-launched companies or Kickstarter campaigns, I’m overwhelmed by a sea of mechanical, software, and assembly issues. I had none of these with the Lotmaxx.

In fact, the only persistent issue I had with this color 3D printer came from the build plate adhesion.

In some cases, my recent prints would require a lot of elbow grease and some light chiseling to remove the prints from the plate. This is one of the most straightforward issues to remedy, though, so it’s not even something worth criticizing.

So there you have it!

Whether you choose the Shark or some other color 3D printer on the list (XRize, anyone?), multicolor 3D printing opens up many new avenues for you and your creations.

In a field where companies and creators are innovating every day, I can’t wait to see what new color 3D printer awaits us! Until then, thanks for reading, and happy printing!

Guide to Color 3D Printers

Are you looking to 3D print parts in color or to create vibrant, multi-color parts? Over the last few years, multiple new methods have emerged to 3D print in color, and newer 3D printers have become more accessible, empowering any designer, model maker, or hobbyist to create objects in a range of hues.

In this guide, we dive into the several techniques you can use to produce colored 3D printed parts, as well as the technologies and applications of color 3D printing.

There are several options to produce colored 3D printed parts, from color mixing to color matching, full color 3D printing, painting 3D printed parts, and hydrographics. 

Direct color, also known as multicolor 3D printing is the most basic way to 3D print parts in multiple colors. It involves loading colored raw material into the printer. The most common way is using colored filaments with 3D printers that use fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology, which melts and deposits the filament onto the printer bed.

FDM 3D printing in color. (source: 3Dnatives)

FDM 3D printers can print in a single color, using colored filament, in two colors, using a dual extruder, or in multiple colors and gradients using color mixing, depending on how many filaments feed through the printer simultaneously.

The main advantage of these multicolor 3D printers is that they're easy to use and affordable. However, the disadvantages are that it’s not possible to achieve a specific color tone, and the final part will likely have visible layer lines. Also, the more extruders an FDM printer has, the bigger the chance of print errors.

While direct color printing only offers off-the-shelf color options, color matching allows you to create 3D printed parts in almost any custom color. 

SLA 3D printed parts in various custom colors.

As the first integrated color-mixing solution for stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing, Formlabs Color Kit mixes color pigments into the base material to create a full cartridge of customized color resin. The SLA 3D printing process then uses a laser to solidify the colored resin and 3D print parts in vibrant colors with a smooth surface finish and almost imperceptible layer lines.

Color Kit, the first integrated color-mixing solution for SLA 3D printing.

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Full-color 3D printing is the most versatile color 3D printing method, as it produces objects in multiple colors at the same time, matching any tone and making realistic parts.

Unlike colored filaments or resin, the material used in full color printing is not pre-colored—the color is added to the base material during the printing process, similar to a color 2D printer.

Full-colored 3D printed part with binder jetting. (source: Hubs)

Technologies such as binder jetting and material jetting are able to produce full-color 3D prints. However, these processes have a high entry price, making them inaccessible to most users, while only one manufacturer offers a more affordable full color FDM 3D printer.

In certain cases, colored 3D prints may lack the detail or the vivid colors that an artist or designer aims for. Painting monochromatic 3D printed parts with acrylic, oil, or spray paint, while more time-consuming, offers an inexpensive and fully custom solution.  

Side by side comparison on the before and after painting a dinosaur 3D printed SLA miniature.

Models that need a perfectly smooth finish or very fine features may require post-processing techniques, such as sanding, priming, or using a solvent prior to painting.

Sanding reduces imperfections in the surface, and primer fills in small cracks and holes. Additionally, some 3D printed parts may need an undercoat to diminish the neutral color of the primer before the paint application.

_{Watch or read our step-by-step guide on priming and painting 3D printed parts.}

Hydrographics, also known as hydroprinting, water printing, or water transfer printing, is a common method for applying printed designs to three-dimensional surfaces. The process uses an inkjet printer to print an image on a polyvinyl alcohol film. The film gets submerged in water and receives an activator chemical spray. The color film then stretches over and adheres to the object as it’s slowly dipped through the floating film.

If you're interested in this process, read our guide about full color patterns to 3D prints with computational hydrographics.

The most used technologies in color printing are FDM, SLA, SLS/MJF, binder jetting, and material jetting. Let’s look at the pros and cons of each process.

FDM, or fused deposition modeling, is one of the most common and least expensive technologies in consumer 3D printing. FDM 3D printers build parts by melting and extruding thermoplastic filament, which a printer nozzle deposits layer by layer in the build area.

Filaments for FDM printing in various colors. (source: All3DP.com)

FDM is mostly used for direct color printing, with single extruder printers, or for color mixing 3D printing, with dual or multiple extruder printers.

FDM can now also be used for full color 3D printing with the da Vinci Color 3D printer. With a colorless filament that is dyed using CMYK inkjet cartridges right before being extruded, it produces colored parts in a similar way to a color 2D printer.

SLA, or stereolithography 3D printing, uses a laser to cure liquid resin into hardened plastic in a process called photopolymerization. SLA parts have the highest resolution and accuracy, the clearest details, and the smoothest surface finish of all plastic 3D printing technologies.

Colored SLA parts, 3D printed with Formlabs Color Kit and Standard Resins.

SLA offers the possibility for color matching almost any custom color using Formlabs Color Kit, the first integrated color-mixing solution for SLA 3D printing. Thanks to their smooth surface finish, SLA printed parts can also easily be post-processed, painted, and used for applying hydrographics. 

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Selective laser sintering is the most common additive manufacturing technology for industrial applications, trusted by engineers and manufacturers across different industries for its ability to produce strong, functional parts.

Dyed SLS 3D printed parts. (source: Hubs)

SLS 3D printers use white, grey, or black nylon powder as a raw material. While the parts cannot be directly printed in color, they can be dyed or painted in post-processing.

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Looking for a 3D printer to create strong, functional parts? Download our white paper to learn how SLS printing works and why it's a popular 3D printing process for functional prototyping and end-use production.

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The binder jetting 3D printing technology is similar to SLS and MJF printing but uses a colored binding agent to bond powdered sandstone material instead of heat. 

Parts produced with binder jetting have a porous surface and are very brittle, which means that this process is recommended only for static applications, such as creating full-color figurines and concept models.

Figurines printed with binder jetting. (source: Shapeways)

Material jetting 3D printers combine traditional inkjet printing with the use of photopolymer resins, by depositing droplets of the material on a build tray similar to 2D printers, which then gets hardened by UV light.

This process offers a myriad of color possibilities and can create photorealistic parts with vibrant colors. However, the parts have poor mechanical properties, are heat-sensitive, and the entry price for this technology is the highest of all color 3D printing options.

Color 3D printing with material jetting. (source: Hubs)

	FDM	SLA	SLS	Binder Jetting	Material Jetting
Resolution	★★☆☆☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★☆☆	★★★★★
Accuracy	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★☆☆	★★★★★
Surface Finish	★★☆☆☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★☆☆	★★★★★
Ease of Use	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★★★★☆
Complex Designs	★★★☆☆	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★☆☆	★★★★☆
Description	The print head melts and extrudes thermoplastic filament	A laser solidifies liquid resin	A laser or light source sinters nylon powder	A binding agent bonds sandstone powder	An inkjet-like print head cures droplets of resin
Materials	Thermoplastic filaments	Varieties of liquid resin	Varieties of polymer powder	Sandstone	Varieties of liquid resin
Color 3D printing options	Direct color, color mixing, or full color	Color matching	None	Full color	Full color
Post-processing with colors	Painting (requires a lot of post-processing) Hydrographic printing	Painting Hydrographic printing	Dyeing Painting Hydrographic printing	Painting Hydrographic printing	Painting Hydrographic printing
Applications	Basic modelmaking	Rapid prototyping, miniatures and models, medical models	Rapid prototyping, end-use parts	Miniatures and models	Rapid prototyping, miniatures and models, medical models
Price	Budget printers and 3D printer kits start at a few hundred dollars. Higher quality mid-range desktop printers start around $2,000, and industrial systems are available from $15,000.	Professional desktop printers start at $3,750, large-format benchtop printers at $11,000, and large-scale industrial machines are available from $80,000.	Professional benchtop printers start at $19,000.	Full color 3D printers start around $60,000.	Full color 3D printers start around $50,000 and large-scale machines are available from $100,000.

Video Guide

Having trouble finding the best 3D printing technology for your needs? In this video guide, we compare FDM, SLA, and SLS technologies across popular buying considerations.

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Color 3D printing empowers engineers and designers to save money and time with looks-like prototypes, movie makers to turn digital models into props, model makers to create vibrant miniatures, medical professionals to produce accurate anatomical models, and more.  

Rapid prototyping helps companies turn ideas into realistic proofs of concept, advances these concepts to high-fidelity prototypes that look and work like final products, and guides products through a series of validation stages toward mass production.

The development team at birdkids used SLA 3D printing to create prototypes in color.

Concept models in color can demonstrate an idea to stakeholders, create discussion, and drive acceptance or rejection using low-risk concept explorations.

At later stages, realistic looks-like prototypes in color can give a better idea of what an end product will look like and how the end-user will interact with it. Ergonomics, user interfaces, and overall user experience can be validated with 3D printed looks-like prototypes before spending significant design and engineering time to fully build out product features. 

Color matching 3D printing or full color 3D printing also allows product development teams to experiment with different color options and run studies with customers before moving into production.

In the entertainment industry, 3D printed props and models are blurring the line between physical models and digital effects. Artists create realistic, detailed models using 3D modeling software and then bring them to life in a matter of hours using 3D printing. High-resolution 3D printing processes, like SLA, can reproduce even the most complex parameters of a design, such as skin texture.

_{A behind-the-scenes look at visual effects (VFX) and design studio Aaron Sims Creative’s process to design of Stranger Things’ Demogorgon.}

Props masters, such as Russell Bobbitt for Marvel movies and Jaco Snyman for the Raised by Wolves series, as well as visual effects (VFX) and design studio Aaron Sims Creative for Stranger Things, have adopted the technology, as it significantly saves time in prop making and fuels creativity in the design process. The creation becomes more flexible and fluid, and props and models can be created in an efficient manner.

Without a doubt, 3D printing has revolutionized the creation of custom miniatures and figurines, whether for model making, tabletop games, collectibles, or other hobbies.  

As full-color 3D printers are often out of budget for hobbyists and model makers traditionally hand-paint models anyway, the most popular way to create colorful models is to paint them after 3D printing.

For example, artists at Modern Life Workshop combine 3D modeling design with SLA 3D printing to create hyper-realistic celebrity portraits. The artists use the digital freehand sculpting software ZBrush to create detailed models on the computer. Then, they 3D print the designs on an SLA 3D printer and paint the parts by hand.

The artists from Modern Life Workshop create hyper-realistic sculptures with ZBrush and 3D printing.

In gaming, online communities have sprung up around tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons, for which gamers use 3D printers to create one-of-a-kind D&D 3D printed miniatures, figurines, terrains, landscapes, and other board game accessories.

Professional model-making companies, like DM-Toys, also use 3D printing to accelerate prototyping and production cycles of custom models.

Global play and entertainment company Hasbro also uses the technology to create Hasbro Selfie Series figures—a groundbreaking endeavor to use 3D printing to manufacture personalized action figures at scale. For the first time, fans are now able to scan their face with a smart device and have a custom-made look-a-like action figure delivered to their door.

In healthcare, radiologists, surgeons, and biomedical professionals are increasingly turning to 3D printing to create accurate 3D models of anatomical features that can be used as reference tools for preoperative planning, intraoperative visualization, and education. 

3D printing empowers medical professionals to create complex models with intricate details that would be impossible to produce with other technologies.

A fully colored pancreas model that was produced with SLA 3D printing and then painted with acrylic.

High-detailed color models are excellent in resident education programs, where each blood vessel or organ can be directly 3D printed or painted in different colors for easy classroom viewing.

Furthermore, patient-specific surgical models that are based on patient scan data are becoming increasingly useful tools in today’s practice of personalized, precision medicine.

Whether it is color matching to create 3D printed parts in almost any custom color, or printing high-resolution parts that can be painted to create hyper-realistic models, SLA 3D printing delivers incredible detail and seamless performance at an affordable price point.

Start 3D printing your own 3D printed parts on the Form 3 and bring your biggest ideas to life with the Form 3L.

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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. nine0003

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. nine0009 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". nine0013
• 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. nine0013

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

3D printer prints multi-colored filament from different materials

Engineers have introduced a new technique for printing colored plastic objects on a simple 3D printer with a single nozzle without the use of additional tools. To do this, it is necessary to print a thread consisting of colored segments in the right places in several steps, and then you can use this filament for conventional printing by layer-by-layer deposition. In addition to color, the method also allows you to create a thread from different materials. Article published at ACM Digital Library .

The most common and affordable 3D printing method is Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM). FDM printers have one (sometimes more) extruder that supplies filament to the substrate, and to print multi-colored objects, you either need to change the filament spool manually, stopping the printing process, or print on a printer with several extruders, or use additional devices to thread several threads at once. Printing with two extruders increases the chance of shearing, welding and other defects, and these defects are also difficult to avoid when manually changing the filament. In addition, manual replacement may be required several times during the printing process, which can greatly increase the time spent and increase the likelihood of printing defects. Accessories, on the other hand, need to be bought separately, and they often require certain skills and training, complicate and increase the cost of printing. There are also multi-color threads and materials that can change their color and properties, but these are not universal solutions that are usually not available to the average user. nine0009 Haruki Takahashi of Meiji University and colleagues came up with a low-cost method for printing different colors and even materials on a printer with just one extruder. The method involves the creation of a programmable thread for each individual project using a 3D printer, which is then fed into the 3D printer as a regular filament. The length and number of required segments is generated in G-code format from a 3D model or 2D image using printer software. nine0003

A program developed by scientists uses this G-code to design a future thread and offers optimal printing options. The printer sequentially prints the filament in the form of a spiral, starting from the edge towards the center. First, all segments of one color are printed, and only then another, which significantly reduces the number of manual filament changes. The ends of the segments are cut diagonally during the printing process to increase the contact area between the segments, and are additionally fused with stitches - additional layers of filament. Fusing the stitch and simultaneously passing a hot nozzle at the point of contact increases the strength of the connection. nine0003

The scientists tested their technique on four different printers using filaments of different colors and different materials: polylactide, thermoplastic polyurethane, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyvinyl acetate, nylon. One of the samples printed with the programmable filament consisted of five colors, which is difficult to achieve using even multi-extrusion machines. In addition, the engineers printed a mock-up of a watch that combines a solid base and a flexible strap, proving the possibility of using dissimilar materials in their technique. nine0003

The researchers plan to refine their method in further studies and study the mechanical behavior of composite structures in more detail, as well as increase the strength of connections between heterogeneous materials. Already at this stage, the filament stitching technique provides good joint strength, reduces the cost and simplifies the printing process.

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