3D Printing Techniques for Multi-Color Object Fabrication

Printing multi-colored 3D objects using fusing agents to heat and fuse colored powder-build material selectively. The additive manufacturing system deposits colored fusing agents matching subtractive colorants like magenta, yellow, and cyan. It also deposits a colorless UV-absorbing agent. The system uses monochromatic light sources to fuse colored areas selectively. A controller adjusts irradiation to compensate for different color intensities.

Source

Method for selecting a print head of a 3D printer for printing a 3D object with accurate colors and transparency. The method involves analyzing a 3D model to determine colorization values for each printing position based on the closest shell point color. It then converts the colorization to the printer's color space and selects a print head with the closest matching colors.

Source

Method to enable full-color 3D printing with additive manufacturing technologies like 3D inkjet printing. The method maps 2D color textures onto 3D objects in a way that diffuses the color transitions through the object depth, simulating subtractive mixing like in physical objects. It constructs a 3D color map assigning colors to internal voxels based on surrounding voxels and the color texture. This allows printing objects that appear colored throughout like traditionally manufactured objects rather than just on the surface.

Source

Color printing uses polymer-assisted photochemical deposition (PPD) to make structural color images with vivid, saturated colors using a low-cost, non-toxic additive manufacturing process. The PPD process uses UV radiation to reduce metal ions into nanoparticles that are coupled with polymers to form a nanocomposite film. When printed in Fabry-Perot cavities, these films produce bright, tunable colors across the visible spectrum. The technique enables direct printing of high-resolution, color-tunable images on a variety of substrates without cleanrooms or high temperatures.

Source

3D printer that prints objects with multiple colors. It uses transitional lengths of build material to achieve smooth color transitions when changing colors during fabrication. These transitional lengths of build material are positioned inside the object or outside where they won't impact desired colors on the surface.

Source

3D printing apparatus and method for multi-color 3D printing using different wavelength beams. The apparatus projects beams of different wavelengths to solidify layers of photosensitive resin. The solidified layers can have different colors by using beams with different wavelengths corresponding to specific colors. This allows the creation of 3D-printed objects with multicolor effects.

Source

Method for ensuring uniform color appearance in multi-colored 3D printed objects by compensating for color variation due to interference between neighboring surfaces. The method uses the 3D geometry to identify regions where using the defined colors would cause errors. Corrections are applied to the color distribution to mitigate interference and ensure uniform appearance.

Source

Method and apparatus for printing a multi-color three-dimensional object with improved color mixing compared to existing multi-color 3D printing methods. The method involves layering the object into multiple layer-printing documents with different colors and then integrating them into a model printing document that specifies the full object. This enables printing the 3D object with a multi-nozzle printer in a way that layers with different colors and heights are stacked, increasing color mixing compared to gradual color changes within a layer.

Source

Enabling full-color 3D printing using multi-color extrusion systems. It involves optimizing the printing process to slice a full-color 3D model into layers with color information preserved and generate toolpaths that minimize color switching on the exterior, smooth transitions inside the object, and deposit transitional material for infill areas when switching colors. This allows fabricating full-color 3D objects by applying colored material for all polygons of the same color before switching colors, switching colors at internal vertices, and using transitional material for infills. The optimized toolpath reduces bubbles and waste compared to arbitrary color switching.

Source

This method controls multi-color 3D printing without requiring additional software or manual color selection. It involves generating specific color data for each entity in a 3D object based on its modeling information. This entity-specific color data is then converted to the closest color that can be printed by the 3D printer. An output file is created using the original modeling info and converted colors. This allows the generating of a customized file for each printer that outputs the model in the closest supported colors.

Source

3D printing method that enables printing multi-colored objects in one pass without needing to clean excess powder or use multiple nozzles. The method involves using a single nozzle to deposit a base material layer-by-layer to build the object. This material contains colorants that provide the desired colors. The nozzle also has a separate channel to deliver a separate colored ink, which is applied on top of the base material during printing. This allows adding dynamic colors or details on top of the base color during the printing process.

Source

A device and method for 3D printing color objects using a single thermoplastic filament that changes color based on temperature. The printer heats the filament to different temperatures to control the color as it is extruded. A temperature/color table maps colors to temperatures. The printer reads color data for each point in a 3D model, then moves the print head to that location and heats the filament to the corresponding temperature to print in that color at that point. This allows 3D printing objects with complex color patterns without using multiple filaments or post-processing.

Source

Printing a colored three-dimensional object using a 3D printer that includes multiple printheads for printing binder onto a bed of build material. Each printhead is coupled with a different colorant source (cyan, yellow, magenta, black) and a colorless binder source. The system determines the total binder amount needed to solidify the build material at a location and the amount of each colorant needed to produce the desired color. It then calculates the additional colorless binder needed to reach the total amount. This allows precise color mixing without oversaturation.

Source

A method to colorize 3D printed models during construction in a single color 3D printer by retrofitting existing printers. It involves modifying the printing process, printhead, substrate, and software to enable multi-color printing using a single printhead. The key steps are: using a single printhead but multiple colored substrates, retrofitting the printer with additional reservoirs and heating components, modifying the software to separate the model into colored sub-models, and printing each sub-model layer with the corresponding colored substrate. The order of printing the colored layers is based on color density.

Source