Full-color 3D printing has been a rare feature, only available on specialized machines that produced mixed results – until now. The latest advancement from XYZprinting is the da Vinci Color, a full-color 3D printer. The innovation is in the 3DColorJet technology, which combines inkjet printing with fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printing.
3DColorJet technology mixes and fires CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and key black) ink droplets onto a new kind of filament (Color PLA or CPLA), which allows accurate full-color designs to be printed across printed layers in finished 3D products. The special CPLA filament allows for the absorption of inkjet droplets and is also sturdier than regular PLA, making it perfect for tooling and impact resistance.
The da Vinci Color 3D printer is approximately a 2 foot cube, not the largest printer, but still clearly designed for professional and “prosumer” users. The 7.8 x 7.8 x 5.9 inch build volume is more than adequate for most in-house prototyping.
The addition of accurate full-color design to 3D printing could be applied as a substantial benefit to models that would otherwise have required extensive post-production detailing.
Image Credit: PRNewsfoto/ XYZprinting
- Camera-ready animation or movie models could be produced, and reproduced, that are ready to be used immediately.
- Architects and Designers could print fully rendered building models, miniature landscaping, furnishings and people to include in presentations.
- Comic book or fantasy universe characters could be created for fans and collectors in their authentic colors or with custom costume designs.
The latest version of the XYZmaker application (for Mac, Windows and Linux) is designed to allow all users, even beginners, to easily create 3D models that can be output to the da Vinci Color. The application can also convert other file types, allowing models created on other software to be printed by the da Vinci Color. Thousands of 3D models available for free though the XYZprinting Gallery and can be used and edited for any project.
The da Vinci Color is available now at a special pre-order price of for $2,999.95 in the XYZprinting e-store, a savings of $500 from the suggested retail price. Complete product details for the da Vinci Color 3D Printer can be found here (direct link) on the XYZprinting website.