The Top Full Color 3D Printers on the Market

When it comes to choice of a 3D printer, several criteria must be taken into account: which applications it will be used for, the desired printing speed, the final quality of the parts, the quantity to be produced, among others. For some, a particularly essential aspect is the possibility to design parts in color. It is true that color integration is rarely the number one choice, but for some users, it is key. For example when creating a visual prototype that must look like a perfume bottle, or an anatomical model where blood vessels need to be distinguished from nerves and arteries. Enter full color 3D printers.

Integrating color into additive manufacturing is currently possible, whether through machines that are capable of offering a wide range of colors as well as accessories. And to help you in your search, we have created a list of some of the multicolor 3D printers on the market. These machines have been categorized by technology: FDM, material jetting and binder jetting. Check it out below.

Fused Deposition Modeling Color 3D Printers

FDM technology offers several possibilities for creating coloured parts. For some color 3D printers, the presence of several extruders will allow the user to choose different filaments and combine them. Other manufacturers have developed a system that can color filaments directly inside the 3D printer: the machine releases color inks at the print head, resulting in a colored filament. Finally, there exist additional accessories available to mix different filaments together.

Palette 3 – Mosaic Manufacturing

Palette 3 Pro, manufactured by Canadian company Mosaic Manufacturing, is an advanced filament management system that is compact, measuring 30.9 x 23.5 x 7.4 cm and weighing 3.2 kg. Not only that, but it is not a printer, rather it is a tool that allows up to eight different filaments to be used in a single print. Palette 3 Pro can be installed on an FDM 3D printer, enabling the mixing of multiple materials and colors and their use in a single extruder 3D printer. Compatible with both Ultimaker and Lulzbot solutions, it connects easily to the printer and enables remote control to start and monitor prints wherever you are. Palette 3 Pro automatically detects when filament has run out and can autonomously to change spools. With these functions, seamless print management is guaranteed. It joins filaments together with a speed 10% faster than Palette 3 and 30% faster than Palette 2. The user interface has been enhanced with a four-inch touch screen. Palette 3 Pro supports 1.75 mm filaments and is compatible with the following materials: PLA, PETG, TPU, ABS, PVA, HIPS.

P1S – Bambu Lab

Bambu Lab’s P1S is a powerful FDM printer that is characterized by its high printing speed, precision and versatility. It has a maximum tool head speed of 500 mm/s and a direct drive extruder, which gives it optimum control over the extrusion and retraction of flexible filaments. This results in smooth and flawless prints. The printer also offers the option of printing with different materials, including ABS, ASA, PLA, PETG, TPU, PVA and PC. Another highlight is the Automatic Material System (AMS), which enables the printing of up to 16 colors. With a print volume of 256 × 256 × 256 mm³, the P1S also offers sufficient space for various projects.

K2 Plus Combo – Creality

The K2 Plus Combo from Creality is a 3D printer designed to create multicolor prints. Equipped with the CFS, or Color Filament System, the printer intelligently manages filaments and allows the user to serve four different spools simultaneously. These can be either multi-material or multicolor. By adding 3 CFS, prints of up to sixteen colors per part can be achieved with the K2 Plus Combo. Filament loading and removal are fully automated. Furthermore, the CFS acts as a dryer because it is equipped with temperature and humidity sensing. The Direct Drive “Apus” metal extruder is equipped with a trimetallic thermal protection nozzle. The latter can reach a temperature of 350° C, allowing the user to serve a wide range of materials, including high-performance materials. Furthermore, thanks to its large print volume, 350 x 350 x 350 mm, large multicolor objects can be created with this 3D printer. All this with an incredible extrusion speed: 600 mm/s, reaching a maximum acceleration of 30 000 mm/s².

AD5X – Flashforge

The Flashforge AD5X is a 3D printer that allows multicolor printing with a single enhanced extruder, thanks to its IFS filament switching module. The machine is capable of working with 4 colors and materials such as TPU, PLA (PRO, HS, Matte, Silk) and PETG (PRO, HS and ASA). In addition, it is open source, meaning it is possible to print with third party brand materials. The printer offers a speed of up to 600 mm/s and an acceleration of 20,000 mm/s², so that, according to the manufacturer, the printing time is optimized without any loss of quality of the parts. In addition, the AD5X integrates intelligent functions such as automatic filament reloading, automatic feeding and object exclusion for failed prints. With a print volume of 220 × 220 × 220 mm, a weight of 11 kg, the AD5X stands out for its ease of assembly, precision and speed, making it the right choice for those looking to print in multiple colors without so many complications.

Kobra S1 Color – Anycubic

The Kobra S1 Combo is a multi-material printer manufactured by Anycubic, which allows printing with between 4 to 8 colors. The print volume of the Kobra S1 Combo is 250 x 250 x 250 mm and it has an excellent extrusion speed of 600 mm/s, reaching a maximum acceleration of 20,000 mm/s². It also provides a 44dB silent printing mode. Anycubic’s printer supports the following materials: PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA. TPU can also be used with Kobra S1 Combo, but it is only compatible with single-color printing. The manufacturer suggests using plastic filament spools to achieve a smoother multicolor printing experience. nozzle temperature can reach 320°C, to facilitate extrusion, and the temperature for the print bed 120°C, to achieve excellent adhesion of prints to the surface. Finally, it is equipped with a touch screen to make operation of the printer easy and intuitive.

Prusa XL – Prusa

The Prusa XL is the latest large format, multi-material printer from Prusa. With a fast and efficient toolchanger and up to five toolheads, you can keep five 2kg spools loaded at all times, avoiding lengthy filament changing procedures. Of course, printing with multiple materials also means you can print with multiple colors. The printer is compatible with various materials, including PLA, PETG, TPU and PC. This XL printer has a large print volume of 360×360×360 mm, and is available to purchase as fully-assembled or semi-assembled. The 2024 iteration of the Prusa XL comes with several upgrades, including an Input Shaper (which cancels resonance vibrations) and Pressure Advance (which compensates for pressure changes in the nozzle during printing) for fast and precise printing. Furthermore, if you purchase the Prusa XL, you can continue to receive other major firmware and hardware upgrades for years to come.

Material Jetting Solutions

3DUJ-553 and 3DUJ-2207 – Mimaki

Japan’s Mimaki, a manufacturer of traditional 2D printers, was the first to make a UV-curable, colored material jet 3D printer. Its 3DUJ-553 solution was launched in 2017 and can create parts with more than 10 million colors. It uses a UV light curing process and is intended for the professional sector. During this process, a layer of material is applied and then covered with a UV-sensitive ink that light can solidify. The process is repeated until the final part is obtained.

More recently, Mimaki developed the 3DUJ-2207, a more compact 3D printer that offers the same color printing capabilities. It is more accessible and easier to use, unlocking a larger section of the current market. The 3DUJ-2207 is particularly suited to medical professionals, researchers and teachers, but also to designers and artists.

J850 TechStyle – Stratasys

The Stratasys J850 TechStyle transforms textile printing by enabling design directly on garments and fabrics. Thanks to advanced 3DFashion™ technology, it opens up new perspectives in high-end fashion by simultaneously printing up to seven materials in full color, with transparency effects and refined textures. Its 460 x 360 x 50 mm print volume adapts to textile surfaces of up to 2 m². Its interchangeable tray simplifies set-up, reducing downtime and speeding up production cycles. With seven cartridges of a variety of materials, from vibrant hues to flexible or rigid textures, this printer gives you total creative freedom.

Another model: the J850™ Prime transforms 3D color printing, reducing production time by 80% compared to traditional methods. Ideal for designers and engineers, it’s one of the most versatile printers available. It can create prototypes or finished parts with over 600,000 color combinations, realistic textures and flexible or transparent materials. Its simplified operation makes the design process faster and more efficient.

ProJet ®CJP 660Pro – 3D Systems

The ProJet ®CJP 660Pro is a ColorJet printer from 3D Systems. The company advertises that it can produce photorealistic full-color parts at a printing speed of 28 mm/h, which is said to be five to ten times faster than other printing technologies. This result is achieved by the five print heads, which guarantee a high throughput and at the same time print so efficiently that material usage and therefore costs can be reduced. Measuring 193 x 81 x 145 cm and weighing 240 kg, the ProJet ®CJP 660Pro is a large-format color printer. It has a print volume of 253 x 381 x 203 mm. Compatible materials are the Visijet PWL materials from 3D Systems. The printer can be used for color models of any kind: medical models, design pieces, art objects or architectural models.

D450Plus – Saliner

Among the Material Jetting machines that enable multilateral, multicolor 3D printing is the D450Plus printer from Chinese manufacturer Saliner. The company has developed its proprietary direct injection color multi-material 3D printing technology, which it offers in a range of products. According to the manufacturer, this technology is distinguished by high precision, vivid color, high efficiency, customization and multimaterial printing capability, making it an ideal solution for various applications, such as digital medicine, education and training, culture, art and industrial design.

In terms of specifications, the D450Plu machine features compact dimensions of 860 x 640 x 790mm, a resolution of 600 x 600x 2540dpi, 2560 nozzles, ability to process 7 materials and 3 printing modes: Fast mode (36μm and monochrome), Fine mode (18μm) and Texture mode (10μm).

Binder Jetting Color 3D Printers

G450 – EASYMFG

Based in China, EASYMFG specializes in binder jetting and has developed a range of industrial solutions around this process. While some are sand-compatible, others can print in color. Such is the case with the G450 3D printer, capable of producing several multicolored parts simultaneously thanks to its 450 x 220 x 300 mm build plate. Layer thickness is between 100 and 200 microns, enabling fine, precise details to be obtained. According to the manufacturer, the G450 color 3D printer is particularly suited to industrial design, architecture, education and R&D. What’s more, one of the machine’s strong points is that it doesn’t need print media, as the powder already acts as such. Users can therefore imagine complex parts, all in full color!

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