Kikai labs developed low cost system for painting 3d printed objects after extrusion with help of custom extruder with attached simple colored markers. It prints a layer and then paints it with the marker befor doing the next layer.
After development process they made following conclusions:
- Multi-material printing capability is retained (PLA, ABS, PVA, Filaflex, HIPS, etc.)
- Can print using more than 3 colors with markers, but it’s cumbersome.
- Software: we have a colored-object slicer that works with Slic3r, yet runs external to it.
- Pre-extrusion approach seems limited in detail achievable and in number of colors it can apply.
- Purging plastic or ink quickly is a problem.
- Painting arches, floor, overhangs: possible to do using transparent filament.
PDF presentation with more details:
http://www.kikailabs.com.ar/documents/10180/652567/20140416+Inside+3D+printing+conference+Brazil.pdf
Source:
http://www.kikailabs.com.ar/web/guest/articulos/-/asset_publisher/geXBssdlL5J1/blog/kikai-labs-develops-new-low-cost-method-for-coloring-fdm-objects
