HeyGears Launches the G1 Series: Full-Color 3D and UV Printing for Desktop
The modern workshop of a professional creator can be a fragmented landscape. It is common to see a resin printer occupying a corner, a separate UV machine sitting nearby for surface decoration, and a manual post-processing station for cleaning supports. High-fidelity, full-color production has historically been limited to industrial systems costing tens of thousands of dollars, leaving small businesses and independent makers to choose between compromising on quality or committing to hours of manual labor.
This barrier is finally beginning to erode. HeyGears is introducing the G1 Series, including the G1 and G1X models. The G1X platform is designed to consolidate these disparate workflows into a single desktop system. By integrating full-color 3D printing, 3D-texture printing, and 2D UV printing, the company is positioning the G1X as the world’s first system of its kind for the desktop market. Priced under $5,000, it aims to bring industrial-grade capabilities to print farm owners, small business operators, and designers who need a more accessible path to advanced digital manufacturing.
The G1X and its resin station.
The Problem of Fragmented Workflows
The current state of digital fabrication forces users to compromise. For the freelance designer or the small business owner, the investment required for true full-color industrial printing is simply prohibitive. Consequently, many creators rely on a collection of separate devices to achieve their goals. A user might use a standard resin printer for the structural base, a secondary device for adding tactile textures, and yet another for surface decoration.
This fragmented workflow increases costs, complicates routine maintenance, and adds significant time to every production cycle. The HeyGears G1 Series targets this pain point. Instead of requiring users to switch hardware, the G1X provides a unified ecosystem that handles both volumetric printing and surface decoration in a single platform.
The G1 Series’ Three Application Modes
The versatility of the G1 Series stems from its support of three distinct operational modes.
- 2D UV Printing: This mode is capable of high-resolution surface decoration on flat substrates, making it ideal for branding, signage, and direct-to-substrate customization.
- 3D-Texture Printing (Surface Relief): This mode creates tactile surfaces and relief effects up to 5mm in height. It is important to distinguish this from true volumetric manufacturing. Surface relief printing is intended to add depth, grain, or haptic elements to the exterior of an existing material rather than building a complete three-dimensional object from the ground up.
- Full-Color 3D Printing (Volumetric): This is the core capability for creating fully three-dimensional objects up to 150mm in height. Unlike surface relief, this mode enables the production of complex, multi-color, and transparent geometric structures in a continuous build process. It is suited for figurines, prototypes, as well as creative & professional models that require a detailed, multi-color, finish, straight out of the printer: no painting required.
The system can print on over 400 surfaces (substrates), including plastic, metal, wood, glass, ceramic, leather, and acrylic, while supporting advanced optical effects such as holographic and lenticular prints.
The G1X can achieve transparency and a full range of color.
How Does the G1 Series Work?
It’s clear that the G1 Series offers diverse creative capabilities, but how does it work? The G1 Series includes different configurations for different production needs. The G1X, as the advanced model in the lineup, is built around an 8-channel ink system optimized for multiple output modes, while the G1 uses a 6-channel ink setup for core UV printing applications.
In Full-Color 3D mode, G1X can print full-color and transparent effects together in one integrated 3D model, producing 10 million+ colors with smooth gradients and clear material transitions. For 2D and 3D-Texture modes, G1X leverages up to 1440 × 2400 DPI resolution to deliver vivid color, fine details, and high-quality surface expression.
The system relies on the Epson I3200 printhead, an industrial component chosen for its consistent output and reduced risk of clogging. The machine also features a quad-layer anti-clogging design: a four-part defense system built to keep ink flowing smoothly. This system includes:
- A white-ink stirring mechanism that constantly agitates the ink to prevent the heavy pigments from settling and separating,
- A printhead heating system to keep the ink at the perfect thickness (viscosity) for ejection,
- Automated cleaning cycles to clear out residual buildup, and
- A sealed, moisturizing state that protects the printhead during downtime to prevent the ink from drying out.
Together, these four layers eliminate the primary causes of ink blockages, ensuring the machine remains ready to print even after periods of inactivity.
The G1 is capable of achieving brilliant color in both 2D and 3D.
To maintain accuracy, the G1 Series uses a line-scan camera to capture substrate contours line by line. This approach eliminates the common optical issues caused by material thickness, specifically barrel distortion (where the image unnaturally bulges outward) and parallax effects (where the camera’s viewing angle skews the object’s true position). By keeping the image accurate, the system enables an adaptive alignment process that ensures precision in seconds.
A New User Experience
Consider the workflow of a designer creating a custom gaming miniature, or a personalized consumer product. Previously, this process involved disjointed steps: printing a base, using different machines for surface branding, and dealing with manual post-processing that often risked damaging delicate details.
With the G1X, the process undergoes a shift. A designer can now use water-soluble supports for complex hollow geometries, such as the internal structures of an intricate model where supports are otherwise difficult to reach. These supports dissolve cleanly, removing the risk associated with manual removal in hard-to-reach areas. This allows creators to focus on the design outcome.
The G1 Series was created with designers and small businesses in mind.
Accessible Design through AI Modeling
Another way HeyGears is aiming to optimize the workflow for creators is through offering AI-assisted content creation via its new HeyVerse platform for the G1 Series and integrated workflow with Blueprint Studio. This feature converts text or images into high-fidelity models and translates 2D visuals into 3D-texture outputs. The approach lowers the barrier to entry, allowing designers to move from a concept to a physical 3D printed object in color, without needing to master CAD or handle extra painting steps after the print.
When Will the G1 Series Be Available?
The product is currently in its pre-launch stage, and HeyGears has scheduled the G1 Series for a Kickstarter launch in July 2026. Prospective users can reserve a unit with a refundable $50 deposit. This reservation unlocks various VIP rewards, including a $300 discount off the Super Early Bird price, a bottle of UV white ink, priority shipping, and a one-year warranty. For more information, visit the official HeyGears website.
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*All Photo Credits: HeyGears
