It’s not the first desktop 3D printer to print items in varying colors. The XYZPrinting Da Vinci Color, however, does others one better by offering a spectrum of 16 million colors, saving you from the hassle of having to paint your creations after fabrication.
That’s right, this thing can fabricate 3D objects in full color, making it ideal for folks who used 3D printers to build toys, jewelry, and decorative objects. Simply put, if you’re the type to paint and color your 3D projects post-fabrication, this thing can simplify your workload, as it does both jobs on its own at the same time.
Unlike traditional 3D printers, the XYZPrinting Da Vinci Color uses four color ink cartridges to drop pigment onto each layer of plastic filament as it’s fabricated. It, basically, combines the functions of a 3D printer with an inkjet printer, laying down color on the exterior surface of each printed layer. According to the outfit, the ink dries five seconds after it touches the surface, after which it’s covered with a layer of transparent PLA to seal in the color.
Will it look as good as a painted toy? Probably not. The output is actually impressive-looking, although you will notice some imperfections when you inspect them up close (lines where two colors meet can get blurry), since the resolution (100 to 400 microns) isn’t high enough to come close to a professional paint job.
The XYZPrinting Da Vinci Color looks like any ordinary desktop 3D printer, with a build area housed inside a closed door and a five-inch color touchscreen for operating every aspect of the machine. It’s quite big at 21.1 x 22.8 x 25.7 inches, although it also has a generous build volume of 21.1 x 7.9 x 5.9 inches, so you can make sizeable objects with this rig. Oh yeah, the darn thing weighs 71 pounds, so good luck moving it around at the workshop.
While it can probably fabricate objects with any regular filament, the device is meant to use XYZPrinting’s CPLA material, a special filament that’s designed to absorb color from droplets of ink. Aside from absorbing color, the outfit claims the material is also sturdier than regular PLA, so you can fabricate more durable objects compared to traditional systems.
Designed to make 3D fabrication simple, the device comes with auto-calibration technology, so you can print stuff without having to fiddle with a whole load of settings, all while using an array of sensors to identify broken materials during the printing process, so users can restart without wasting both time and materials. It supports AMF, PLY, OBJ, STL, and 3CP files. Other features include an average build speed of 1.2 to 2.4 inches per second, a removable non-heated and auto-leveling print bed, and built-in Wi-Fi for hopping directly onto your home network.
Pricing for the XYZPrinting Da Vinci Color is set at $3,499.95, although you can preorder it for $2,999.95. The CPLA material costs $35 for a 600-gram spool, while the four inkjet cartridges cost $65 each. Yeah, this is going to be expensive.