Formlabs stereolithography (SLA) 3D printers allow you to bring ideas to life with an easy-to-use and systematic workflow, but what truly meets the aesthetic and performance needs of parts is our diverse material library, which enables you to create 3D printed parts suitable for every application.
Now, two new resins from Formlabs have expanded the possibilities of printing.
Color Resin is a general-purpose resin for Form 4 Series 3D printers that allows you to print parts in custom colors to match your brand, product line, or creative concept, making it the first solution of its kind, with made-to-order production within 1 week, starting at just 1 liter, or you can choose from 16 standard colors (Classic Colors).
Fast, easy-to-use, and cost-effective color 3D printing.
Print 3D parts in custom colors to match your brand, product line, or creative concept with Color Resin, with orders starting at just 1 liter, making it easy to create your own color set.
Color Resin and the Form 4 Series 3D printers are completely transforming the lead time for producing colored parts.
While adding color to injection molded parts is easy and low-cost, the lead time and minimum production quantities are often many times greater than 3D printing. At the same time, the plastic filaments of fused deposition modeling (FDM) come in various colors, but color matching is difficult, and the quality of the parts is lower than those printed with SLA.
In the past, coloring SLA parts required outsourcing, painting, or dyeing with alcohol, all of which added time, materials, and labor.
Now, Color Resin allows for direct printing of colored parts with SLA printers, including custom colored parts, ranging from subtle shades to vibrant colors, with the same speed and ease of printing as other versatile resins from Formlabs.
Print 3D prototypes in color to match the colors of actual working parts for prototypes that emphasize realistic appearance.
With Color Resin, you can easily and cost-effectively create realistic prototypes that match the colors of actual working parts, without the need for additional painting steps. It can be used to define colors for jigs and fixtures or to differentiate parts in assembly work, making the process more organized and communication clearer. Colored models and props can stand out or blend in as desired, and with custom color orders starting at just 1 liter, creating your own color set is easily accessible.
Color Resin is available in 16 standard colors (Classic Colors) or custom colors.
Classic Colors make it easy to order a set of 16 colors, including Signal Red, Cobalt Blue, Golden Yellow, Royal Purple, Kelly Green, and many more. These colors are mixed to precise standards, allowing you to achieve consistent results every time you produce.
All 16 standard colors (Classic Colors) can be ordered in addition to the custom shades of Color Resin.
To order Custom Color Resin, enter the Hex value or RGB profile to order resin in various colors that match your brand, product line, or creative concept. The order page will display the color you want along with the closest producible colors. Learn more about ΔE values and color deviation here.
Color perception can vary greatly under different lighting conditions, and extracting digital color values from photographs often results in inaccurate colors. One way to address this is to use physical color standards, such as Pantone or RAL. Customers who want their colors to match actual standards can send Pantone color codes to Formlabs or use a portable spectrometer to measure more accurate HEX values for resin ordering.
Color Resin is produced to order within a week, providing a fast and cost-effective solution for creating easily color-customizable SLA parts, whether for color-separated jigs and fixtures, realistic prototypes, or high-quality functional parts.
The table below shows estimated lead times and costs for producing a prototype water bottle holder for bicycles, designed by Albatross Bikes.
| Manufacturing Method | Lead Time | Cost per piece (including labor)* |
|---|---|---|
| In-house 3D printing with Color Resin | 2-7 days | Approximately ~$40 |
| 3D printing with Grey Resin and additional custom coloring in-house | 7-10 days | Approximately ~$70 |
| Outsourcing (Service Bureau) for either Material Jetting 3D printing or SLA part coloring | 3-14 days | $250-500 |
*Labor costs calculated at a rate of $30 per hour
Designed for both aesthetics and performance, the mechanical properties of Color Resin are on par with General Purpose Resins for the Form 4 Series 3D printers, with slight variations depending on the ordered color.
Creating Radio Flyer Red with Custom Color Resin and Form 4L
“There are some products that we have presented to retail customers, which are parts that came directly from the Form 4L, using Radio Flyer red resin and featuring texture through PreForm, which look really good. You can hardly tell that this is a 3D printed part.”
Agostino LoBello, Product Development Engineer, Radio Flyer
The name Radio Flyer often brings to mind the image of the brand's iconic bright red Original Little Red Wagon®. Whether it's a children's scooter, bicycle, or wagon, this red has always been associated with the brand. Now, LoBello can take the red Radio Flyer part directly from Formlabs' stereolithography (SLA) 3D printer, allowing them to prepare the part for a roadshow presentation in less than a day, while also reducing production time by up to 4 days, along with cutting costs and labor.
“The team was impressed with this first test, which required a red Radio Flyer part by the next day. That immediately gave the team confidence; it was like a real test under pressure.”
Agostino LoBello, Product Development Engineer, Radio Flyer
Learn how LoBello can accurately create brand colors while saving time, costs, and labor by printing with Custom Color Resin in the full article.
H2scan prints functional parts using Custom Color Resin.
Over the past 25 years, H2scan has produced hydrogen sensors for companies working in the hydrogen industry, with all design, manufacturing, and calibration done in-house to ensure that the sensors are safe and highly durable.
This year, they launched the Hy-Guard product, which has an entirely plastic outer structure and was printed with Formlabs' large 3D printer, the Form 4L, using Color Resin that matches the brand's image.
Direct color printing allows H2scan to reduce costs and bring products to market faster compared to injection molding.
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| The Hy-Guard consists of a total of 8 parts, printed with the Form 4L machine, including the outer casing (enclosure). |
H2scan printed the outer casing of the Hy-Guard with Color Resin, matching the brand color according to Pantone standards. |
Christian Thompson, the mechanical engineering manager, designed the metal parts, outer casing, and mechanical assembly for H2scan's sensor. Initially, he planned to print the outer casing of the Hy-Guard with Tough 2000 Resin and then color and coat it later, as Thompson stated.
“We found that even with additional steps like coloring and coating, it is still cheaper than using injection molding. For us, injection molding is too costly and not worth it for launching this new product into the market.”
At the same time, Formlabs' Color Resin was launched, so Thompson sent the Pantone color code of the H2scan brand to Formlabs, which then sent samples of the closest colors for selection
“We chose the color we liked, and then they sent us the resin that matched that color. Since then, we have ordered this material in several dozen liters for the first production run,” Thompson said
With Color Resin
“All we had to do was remove the supports, do a little post-processing, sand, and finish the work.”
“We took samples to several trade shows, and the overwhelming response was, ‘Wow, is this really a 3D printed part? How can a surface like this be achieved with a 3D printer?’ We asked if there was anything they wanted us to improve, but they found no flaws at all. They were just impressed that we could create various features on an entirely 3D printed product.”
Christian Thompson, Mechanical Engineering Manager
The response to Hy-Guard from stakeholders and customers is one of surprise and amazement that the outer shell is 3D printed
Thompson said, “Giving them the chance to touch and feel the real thing is invaluable. It really creates a buzz around the Hy-Guard product.”
Workflow
Order Color Resin starting at just 1 liter
With each order, Color Resin comes with a customized Formlabs Print Settings (FPS) file for you. In the PreForm software, click the “Download Now” button to log in and download the FPS file. Then, load your specific resin cartridge and resin tank into the printer and start printing immediately
For the post-printing process, wash the parts in the Form Wash for 10 minutes, then cure with light (post-cure) at room temperature using the Form Cure (version 2) for 1 minute or the Form Cure (version 1) for 5 minutes
Parts are ready for presentation immediately, without the need for additional finishing
“Being able to print in Radio Flyer red directly saves us time on additional coloring of parts and allows us to iterate more quickly when we want to try out 2-3 options before making a decision”
Agostino LoBello, Product Development Engineer, Radio Flyer
Directly printing parts in color reduces the need for additional coloring, saving time, costs, and labor. Color Resin can be ordered in quantities as low as 1 liter or in bulk for high-volume production, with every order produced on demand, taking about 1 week and undergoing quality checks to ensure reliable results
Currently, Color Resin is available only in the United States, with plans to expand to other regions in the near future
Create harmonious or standout colors as desired, from bright colors to subtle tones, with Color Resin
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References
https://formlabs.com/blog/announcing-custom-classic-color-resin/
