Achieve Stunning Color Results on Your Next FDM Print

FDM excels at color printing thanks to a broad spectrum of colored filaments. For single‑color parts, choosing the right hue and material properties is all that’s needed.

If you need more advanced color, such as a display model that faithfully reproduces the original artwork or a prototype that uses color coding to distinguish parts, recent FDM innovations provide multiple ways to achieve vivid, multi‑color prints. Let's explore these options.

Printing in full color vs. post‑processing

If you’re aiming for a striking, multi‑color FDM print, you should decide early whether to color the part during post‑processing or to leverage new full‑color FDM technology. Full‑color FDM can save time, but it remains niche and typically requires a specialized printer or outsourcing to a specialist. If that’s impractical, you might print each color as a separate component and assemble them later, though this adds a post‑processing step. For blending colors, a specialist printer such as 3D Systems’ Pro‑Cube C is needed; yet for truly intricate color work, hand finishing still wins.

Painting your part by hand

Most painting methods used for other 3D printing technologies can be applied to FDM prints. First, ensure the part is cleaned and finished before priming. We recommend using an airbrush for a smooth, even coat. Even after sanding, bead‑blasting, or tumbling to hide layer lines, paint can reveal them if too thin. Airbrushing mitigates this. Use acrylic paints and apply several thin layers, allowing 30‑minute drying between coats. After fully drying, a thin epoxy coat preserves the colors, though account for added thickness if precision is required.

The perfect time to explore colored FDM printing

If you’ve considered full‑color parts for prototypes or production but thought they were too time‑consuming or expensive, now is the ideal moment. With a growing range of techniques and technologies, creating distinctive, eye‑catching prints is simpler than ever.