Appearing on Kickstarter last week are sets of brand-specific color swatch “chips” intended to serve as accurate, on-hand representations of what particular filaments look like when printed.
Collectively known as The Print Codex, the sets aim to assist would-be buyers in making informed decisions when purchasing filament so they’ll “know exactly what to expect when that spool arrives in the mail”.
The campaign is currently offering core colors of PLA from filament brands like Bambu Lab, Prusament, and PolyTerra. The 2.36 x 1.89-inch chips are printed in the filament they represent, labeled, and slotted into a custom storage box. The campaign page notes that The Print Codex is “starting small”, but promises to soon “expand to help you explore more brands, more colors and more glittery-goodness”.
Overall, the concept seems to straddle the line between novelty and practicality. On one hand, the disconnect between what you see on-screen and what you get, filament-wise, is certainly real. Whether that warrants a full sample set of colored chips will ultimately depend on how often you need color-correct materials – or just how much you like to switch things up. The nascent success of AMS 3D printers like the Bambu Lab X1, which better enable multi-material, multicolor prints, could also factor into The Print Codex’s utility.
With packages starting at $25 for a set of Bambu Lab PLA chips – and going up to $105 for the “Color Me Impressed” set, which arrives with all six available chip sets representing Bambu Lab, Prusament, and PolyTerra filaments – you won’t necessarily have to break the bank to try The Print Codex out for yourself. Additionally, free STLs for chips are available on Printables, so those interested can create a few of their own before fully diving in.
For more, check out The Print Codex’s Kickstarter page, where you can learn more about the story behind the product and choose the package that’s right for you.
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Editor’s Note – This article highlights a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign. Kickstarter is not a shop; campaigns are under no legal obligation to deliver on crowdfunding promises, nor offer refunds on unfulfilled campaign rewards.
For more insight, read our article 8 Things to Watch for When Backing a 3D Printing Kickstarter.
License: The text of "This Color Swatch Kickstarter Wants To ‘Take the Guesswork Out Of’ Filament Selection" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.