Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
How to Dye Your
3D Prints 12
How to add color to your nylon (or polyamide) prints
with nylon with fabric dye.
W RITTEN BY C OLLEEN J ORDAN
Have you created something with 3D print-
ing? Many design students and hobbyists
now have access to the technology thanks
to services like Shapeways and Ponoko. If
you print your objects in polyamide, you can
dye them at home to whatever color you
want. Polyamide is a porous material that
accepts color really well. Some companies
offer dyeing of your prints for you, but that
adds extra processing time and is only avail-
able in a small range of colors.
If you're tired of the boring white that many
3D prints come in, we will show you how to
add color to your prints ( Figure 12-1 ). This is
a tutorial for dyeing nylon (or polyamide) 3D
prints with fabric dye. This material is known
by different names at different printing com-
panies. Shapeways calls it “White Strong and
Flexible”, Ponoko calls it “Durable Plastic”,
Sculpteo “White Plastic”, and iMaterialise
“Polyamide”. We'll use Rit brand dyes in our
tutorial since they are easy to find in craft,
fabric, and grocery stores. You can also dye
your prints with Jacquard brand acid dyes
with a similar process, but that will require
carefully measuring vinegar to change the
acidity of the solution and constantly heat-
ing the solution.
Figure 12-1. The author's Wearable Planter
This process is similar to dyeing fabric, and
we learned a lot about how to dye 3D prints
by reading this article on dyeing techniques
by Rit .
If you have a desktop 3D printer,
you can dye filament (see “Nylon”
on page 94 ) prior to printing to ach-
ieve a “tie-dyed” look. Check out
RichRap's seminal tutorial on how
to dye nylon filament.
 
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