Finishing 3D printed parts: the complete Q&A about “Color Touch” and “Color Resist” finishes

Posted By Marianna Papageorgiou on Dec 11, 2017 | 0 comments

A few weeks ago we announced two new options for finishing your 3D printed parts made of plastic: “Color Touch” and “Color Resist” finishes. We are glad to see that our customers really enjoyed these finishes since we launched them on our online 3D printing service! For this reason, we would like to provide some more information about these finishing options and about how they can meet your needs, through a series of questions and answers.

What are the “Color Resist” and “Color Touch” finishes?

“Color Touch” and “Color Resist” finishes are two dyeing finishes achieved with the DyeMansion technology and most specifically with the DM 60 dyeing machine. Thanks to this technology, the 3D printed and dyed plastics get resistant enough to be exposed to external conditions. More precisely, they are UV resistant and most important of all, they withstand scratching and rubbing. Moreover, a very stable and consistent color between different production batches is achieved with the DyeMansion dyeing technology, which is great if you need to produce an important amount of identical parts.

Finishing 3D Printed parts: Which are the compatible 3D printing technologies?

Both “Color Touch” and “Color Resist” are used for finishing your 3D printed parts made of plastic. More specifically, you can apply them on parts produced with white Nylon PA 12 (SLS technology) and parts produced with HP Multijet Fusion PA 12 (HP Multijet Fusion technology).

Finishing 3D Printed parts: Which are the available colors?

The finishing options of “Color Touch” and “Color Resist” are available in 14 colors in total!

Indeed, you can choose among: blue, black, red, green, orange, yellow, brown, pink, white, violet, navy, bordeaux, anthracite and stone gray.

You can check how the colors look like on our 3D printed parts.

Here are some of the colors for the “Color Touch” finish:

Here are some of the colors for the “Color Resist” finish:

Finishing 3D Printed parts: Which are the available colors through Sculpteo’s online platform?

The colors that you can purchase directly from our online 3D printing service are: blue, black, red, green and orange.

The rest of the colors (yellow, brown, pink, white, violet, navy, bordeaux, anthracite or stone gray) are available after contacting our Sales team for customizing your order.

How does the surface look like?

After finishing the 3D printed parts with the “Color Resist” finish, your 3D printed plastics get a matte look. The surface has a uniform color and looks like on the following pictures:

After finishing the 3D printed parts with the “Color Touch” finish, your 3D printed parts get a satin look. The surface gets slightly shiny and bright, so it is perfectly suitable for objects that are to be subjected to daily handling.

Objects with the “Color Touch” finish look like this:

For you to visualize better the difference between the finishes’ surfaces, here are some objects dyed with “Color Touch” and “Color Resist” finish:

Do these finishes for 3D printed parts resist scratching and rubbing?

Both “Color Touch” and “Color Resist” finishing options are perfectly suited for objects that need to resist scratching.

“Color Touch” is the finishing option that can withstand daily handling for years and its color remains brilliant.

“Color Resist” finish is ideal for parts that are meant to be exposed to external conditions as well as for the parts that need to resist against scratching and rubbing.

Are these finishes for 3D printed parts UV resistant?

Yes, both “Color Touch” and “Color Resit”  finishing options are suitable for 3D plastics that need to be UV resistant. Actually, we recommend you to apply a “Color Touch” or “Color Resist” finish on your white Nylon PA 12 parts if you want to prevent the “yellowing” color alteration that may occur with their exposure to sunlight.

What are the size limitations and design guidelines for dyeing the plastic models with these finishes?

The size limitations are the same for both “Color Resist” and “Color Touch” finishing options:

The maximum size for dyeing your White Nylon PA12 and HP MultiJet Fusion parts is 280 x 280 x 450 mm.

These size limitations are imposed by the physical size of the dyeing tank.

There isn’t any minimum size limitation for the items that are to be dyed.

Finishing 3D Printed parts with “Color Touch”

“Color Touch” finish is the ideal finish to apply to your 3D printed plastic parts if you want them to have a satin look. As you can see from the pictures below, the “Color Touch” finish gives the objects a bright look and smooth surface. So, if you want your 3D printed parts to look like finished colorful products that resist daily handling, this is the finishing option for you! Since “Color Touch” finish is a skin-safe option and UV resistant option, it is recommended to customers who are dealing with eyewear, fashion items and in the jewelry industry.

Finishing 3D Printed parts with “Color Resist”

On the other hand, with the “Color Resist” finish, your 3D printed plastics get a matte look. “Color Resist” is a great choice if you are looking for 3D printing many parts with a uniform color surface, as it is an option that can give the same coloring result to parts from different production batches. Many of our customers are suggesting this dyeing finish for parts that will be exposed to external conditions and that need to resist scratching and rubbing.Objects that need to resist scratching, such as mechanical parts that have to be colored, like for example electronic enclosures, are very typical applications of the “Color Resist” finish.

Which is the cost for finishing the 3D printed parts with “Color Resist” or “Color Touch”?

Our online 3D printing service calculates automatically the cost of your 3D prints. All you have to do to get the price for your 3D printed part, is to upload your 3D file here. Once you place your object and define its size, select the 3D printing technology and the finishing option you want to apply on it, the price will change automatically. You will get a quote instantly, easily, and for free. All you have to do is to upload your 3D design here.

If you want to read more about these finishing options options and how they can meet your needs, you can visit their dedicated pages for “Color Resist” and for “Color Touch”. If you have additional questions, do not hesitate to contact us.