Formlabs adds a dash of color to SLA 3D printing with their new Color Kit; the first integrated color mixing solution for stereolithography.

Color Kit is a brand spanking new product for the Formlabs ecosystem, and it’s pretty special. It represents the first integrated color mixing solution for stereolithography 3D printing. It’s available to order today.

Using the kit, which utilizes the CMYK color palette, you can mix your own custom Color Resin. Then you can create uniformly colored 3D prints with a high resolution and smooth surface finish.

Color Kit belongs to the Formlabs library of Standard Resins. These are their general purpose materials for the Form 2, optimized for rapid prototyping and concept modelling. The benefits of these materials is that they require minimal post-processing and finishing.

In a blog post announcing the new kit, the company said: “For looks-like prototypes, concept models, and others parts where aesthetic is top priority, Color Kit enables you to print many models in one consistent colour, right off the printer, without the additional work of finishing and painting.”

Each Color Kit includes a Color Base cartridge, five bottles of Color Pigment in Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, and White, syringes for easy measurement, and a Recipe Book.

How Does the Formlabs Color Kit Work?

To create these new colours, users can choose one of 16 tested recipes from the kit.

Alternatively, more adventurous spirits can mix a custom colour using their Color Picker. You can blend color pigments into the base material to create a full cartridge of Color Resin. This can then be used like any other standard resin inside the Form 2.

Formlabs says Color Resin is ideal for matte, opaque parts straight off the printer, or painted parts with a colored base material.

The idea is to expand the possibilities for desktop SLA so that users can create parts and prototypes in the desired end-product color or shade without needing to spend hours mired in post-processing.

“Color Kit enables you to print many models in one consistent colour, right off the printer, without the additional work of finishing and painting.”

However, there is one important thing to note. Because Color Kit requires a mixing process and doesn’t come ready to print like other Formlabs materials, it is being offered as an experimental Form X product.

Form X showcases innovative tools, materials, and approaches for advanced users who want to explore the boundaries of what’s possible with desktop stereolithography (SLA). But its bleeding edge nature means that novice users should approach with caution.

What do you think? Are you excited by the possibilities of SLA printing with a bigger color spectrum? Let us know in the comments below.