Personalized 3D-printed figurine customization

Posted by FIT THAI on August 25, 2026

Hasbro has launched its Hasbro Selfie Series figures, a pioneering endeavor to use 3D printing to mass-produce personalized action figures. This groundbreaking effort allows customers to scan their faces with a smart device, and then a customized action figure resembling themselves will be delivered to their homes.

This launch can be seen as the result of years of investment in Formlabs' stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing technology, as well as a continuous effort to make fans feel more connected to the worlds they love. Here, we will introduce how Hasbro has made mass customization a reality with 3D printing.

Fulfilling Fans' Ultimate Wish: "Becoming Part of the Story They Love"

Hasbro collaborates with the world's most popular IPs and constantly seeks new and fun ways to play to provide unforgettable experiences for fans.

In recent years, Hasbro has heard that the demand for personalized toys has increased. Bringing mass customization to a wide audience while balancing quality, speed-to-market, and price has always been a major challenge. Fans have always wanted to become their favorite heroes, but until now, there has been no solution that could offer this on a large scale.

Hasbro has always had the idea of solving the mass customization problem and making personalized action figures and toys possible. Therefore, the launch of the Hasbro Selfie Series marks the realization of the company's long-term goal and opens a new era of mass customization in the consumer entertainment industry.

New Technology That Brings Fans to Life

Hasbro has always been a company that values technology, for example, using 3D printing technology for rapid prototyping since 1995. Within the company, Hasbro's development team views technology as a way to deliver what fans want and to help Hasbro remain at the forefront of the consumer toy industry.

“We spend a lot of time with our customers, understanding their needs and what they’re looking for. Then we plan to create new products,” says Patrick Marr, Senior Director of Model Development at Hasbro.

Ultimately, the old industrial printers the company had been using for a long time could not adequately meet the evolving and changing needs of fans. The team first purchased an SLA printer to explore the possibility of producing parts for actual use and decided to purchase a Formlabs desktop printer.

“Initially, we used 3D printers for product development or prototyping, and we also had large industrial machines. But those machines didn't always meet our needs. So, we started looking at other ways to serve our customers that could be done faster and with more new materials. Since we started working with Formlabs, we've always thought it would be great if we could incorporate micro-manufacturing into our normal product development process. This idea has always been in our heads.”
— Patrick Marr, Senior Director of Model Development, Hasbro

The combination of easy-to-use and highly agile face scanning technology with high-quality and affordable SLA 3D printing made mass customization possible. When Hasbro saw the opportunity to extend additive manufacturing beyond prototyping, the company decided to invest in Formlabs 3D printers.

“When we bought our first desktop SLA printer, Formlabs always asked for our opinions and feedback. We gave feedback on the interface, manufacturing methods, and support system, and that feedback was always reflected in the company's printers. We believe that a company that listens to our feedback and tries to improve its products has the potential to bring products to market that can make our vision a reality,” Marr said.

As the scope of the Hasbro Selfie Series figures expanded, Hasbro and Formlabs remained in close contact. Brian Chapman, President of Hasbro and responsible for global design development, as well as toys/games/consumer products, stated, “It’s not uncommon for us to get on the phone on a Tuesday and say, ‘You know what? It’s a little bit bigger than what we talked about yesterday.’”

As the vision of pairing mobile scanning technology with 3D printing became more prevalent within Hasbro, the scale of what could be offered to customers expanded accordingly. Instead of producing 500 figures in small quantities, what if 3D printing could be leveraged to continuously supply action figures based on user-submitted print demands? As a result, a "mini-factory" was established near the headquarters in Rhode Island, and experiments began.

This allowed the company to experience and learn what in-house 3D printing could do before fully investing in a large, highly agile factory. And when it became clear that they were discovering something important, the team became excited about the possibilities of a wider launch.

An example of some of the figures available in Hasbro's "Selfie Series."

Bringing the Hasbro Selfie Series figures to life presented several challenges. For mass customization on this scale, traditional methods were not viable, and simply being customizable was not enough. Producing personalized action figures at a high price was not an option. The team wanted the product to be high-quality, affordable, and customizable.

Formlabs didn't just provide the printers and materials and leave us to it. They were actively involved in the project and worked hard to make it better, because during the process, there were many technical obstacles that needed to be overcome.
— Patrick Marr, Senior Director of Model Development, Hasbro

From Scan to Delivery

Ordering a customized action figure is simple through the "Hasbro Pulse" app. Just scan your face with a smartphone, choose a character, and your new figure will be delivered to your doorstep. The ordering process is as follows:


Step 1 Customers download the Hasbro Pulse app, then scan their face, select their hair color, and choose their favorite action figure. The entire process is completed within the Hasbro Pulse app.	Step 2 The user's settings are sent to Hasbro's printing factory and automatically queued for production.

Step 3 The customized head is assembled with the body of a generic/commercially available action figure.	Step 4 The customized action figure is shipped.

Hasbro has adopted a hybrid manufacturing model, combining injection-molded action figure bodies with 3D-printed heads and hair to complete a single figure. Most toys are produced by injection molding, which helps reduce costs. However, the most crucial part of an action figure, the head, can be customized before being securely attached.

By using software to match customer face scans with their chosen hair colors, Hasbro can create a large-scale production system that pairs mass-produced bodies with customized 3D-printed heads and hair pieces.

Patrick Marr stated that there are two reasons why Hasbro decided to collaborate with the Formlabs Factory Solution team to address this issue.

Firstly, the ability to create and print with custom resins. Formlabs' SLA printers, with over 20 materials ranging from strong, shatter-resistant parts under pressure to flexible and bendable parts, can offer a wide range of solutions for various applications. For this case, a variety of shades for hair and skin tones were needed, but since all materials had to have the same mechanical properties, custom resins were required. Formlabs sent a team of world-class materials scientists to work closely with Hasbro, using the company's Tough 1500 as a base to provide the necessary materials. Most importantly, this new material can be used with the Form 3, so Hasbro does not need to upgrade special hardware. Since the resin production base is located in the United States, it guarantees a strong domestic supply chain that can support long-term production and allows Hasbro to scale the use of this material as needed.

Another reason Hasbro invested in Formlabs was the quality of the parts produced from the Build Platform. Before Hasbro shipped even a single 3D-printed part directly to customers, the company needed to ensure that the parts coming off the Build Platform were of comparable or higher quality than action figures currently available on the market.

“When we first saw what was scanned and printed with Formlabs printers, we noticed that the quality was not compromised. We knew that the skin tone was not compromised. We thought there was something there, and when combined with the hair options, this piece became complete. Suddenly, we could bridge the gap from the prototype stage to the actual product stage.”
— Patrick Marr, Senior Director of Model Development, Hasbro

True Mass Customization

Brian Chapman with his one-of-a-kind original action figure.

The collaboration with Hasbro marks a new milestone, demonstrating how the application of 3D printing has expanded from prototyping to large-scale manufacturing. The Hasbro Selfie Series figures represent a new frontier of mass customization in toy production, and Hasbro expects this to become a foundation for bridging the gap between fans' worlds and reality.

“The Hasbro Selfie Series figures are planned to grow in number. We are considering adding more figures, which is very exciting. We intend to push boundaries, expand horizons, and re-establish relationships with our customers through all products in our portfolio. Additionally, we are also considering other opportunities to bring personalized experiences through our portfolio,” said Chapman.

Currently, Hasbro Selfie Series figures are available for order through the Hasbro Pulse App. Hasbro is providing a truly personalized experience and prioritizing fans, and Formlabs is delighted to be a part of this story.