Slowly step away from the cheese spread and permanent markers. You no longer need to dowse your sorrows with imitation milk products to add color to your 3D prints.

If you know Shapeways, you know they keep excreting multiple ways to create 3D printed products. Now they’re adding a new machine to the mix that throw in cart sweet starchy color for your 3-dimensional design. Thing is, it’ll run you $1.65 per cubic inch. So, while I scale all my designs to be smaller than tiny, check out the details.



“Full Color Sandstone is made with the latest Z-corp [Zprinter 650] printer with the highest available resolution of:650 x 540 DPI. The material itself is gypsum based, extremely rigid, very hard and colors do not bleed. Obviously it feels a bit like sandstone. We will finish it with XLA Form Infusion, a new impregnating technique which makes your model durable and keeps the colors vivid.”

Z-corp Zprinter 650 Specs

  • Color:  Multicolor (5 print heads, including black)
  • Resolution:  600 x 540 dpi
  • Automation:  Full (automated setup and self monitoring / automated powder loading / automated powder recycling and removal / snap-in binder cartridges / intuitive control panel)
  • Vertical Build Speed:  1.1 inch/hour (28 mm/hour)
  • Build Size:  10 x 15 x 8 inches (254 x 381 x 203 mm)
  • Material Options:  High Performance Composite
  • Layer Thickness:  0.0035 – 0.004 inches (0.089 – 0.102 mm)
  • Number of Jets:  1520

The video give you a better idea of the process and how your design is birthed…

More here in Shapeways Full Color 3D printing or go ahead and buy an Alien or Bunny.

Author

Josh is founder and editor at SolidSmack.com, founder at Aimsift Inc., and co-founder of EvD Media. He is involved in engineering, design, visualization, the technology making it happen, and the content developed around it. He is a SolidWorks Certified Professional and excels at falling awkwardly.