Formlabs stereolithography (SLA) 3D printers make it possible to bring your ideas to life with intuitive, streamlined workflows. But it’s our versatile materials library that makes it possible to achieve the aesthetics and performance you require from 3D printed parts for any application. Now, two new Formlabs resins expand just what is possible to print.
Color Resin V5 is the newest addition to our General Purpose Resins for Form 4 Series 3D printers, enabling printing of parts in custom colors that represent your brand, product line, or creative vision. This first-of-its-kind solution is manufactured to order in one week from quantities as little as one liter.
True Cast Resin is formulated for reliable, precise casting of detailed patterns up to 5 mm thick. True Cast Resin integrates effortlessly into a wide range of burnout schedules with low thermal expansion, minimal shrinkage, and 0.03% ash content to ensure clean burnout and consistently excellent casting outcomes.
Additional updates to PreForm print preparation software make it easier to set up parts for printing while giving expert users more nuanced controls. Face Selection Mode for the PreForm Texture Tool enables users to select where texture is added; Part Color Coding improves tracking and visibility in a packed build. A new, reduced support setting option enables 30% reduced supports on select materials. In addition, the PreForm support tool has been completely redesigned with Preset Profiles, Placement Parameters, and Structural Parameters to enable more control of SLA surfaces.
Color Resin V5: Fast, Easy, and Affordable Color 3D Printing
3D print parts in custom colors that match your brand, product line, or creative vision with Color Resin V5. With orders starting at one liter, crafting a custom palette is accessible.
Color Resin V5 and Form 4 Series 3D printers are rewriting timelines for producing parts in color.
While adding color to injection molded parts is easy and low-cost, timelines and minimum quantities are many times that of 3D printing. Meanwhile, fused deposition modeling (FDM) filaments are available in many colors, but color-matching is difficult and part quality is lower than stereolithography (SLA) 3D printed parts. Until now, achieving color SLA parts involved outsourcing, painting, or alcohol-dyeing — all of which require lead time, additional material, and labor. Now, Color Resin V5 makes it possible to print custom-color parts with SLA 3D printers, achieving everything from nuanced neutrals to saturated, bold colors with the speed and ease of printing of any other Formlabs General Purpose Resin.
3D print color prototypes that match the colors of end-use parts for looks-like prototypes.
With Color Resin V5, create realistic prototypes that match the color of end-use parts easily and affordably without added finishing. Color code jigs and fixtures or differentiate the parts of an assembly, streamlining work and improving communication. Colored models and props stand out or blend in, exactly as intended. And, with orders of custom colors starting at one liter, crafting a custom palette is accessible.
To order Color Resin V5 in custom colors, enter Hex codes or RGB profiles to order resin in a spectrum of colors to match your brand, product line, or creative vision. When ordering Color Resin V5, the store page will show you your requested color and the closest achievable color. Learn more about color tolerancing here.
Color Resin V5 is custom-manufactured in one week for a time-efficient and cost-effective solution for creating easy and affordable custom-colored SLA parts, including color-coded jigs and fixtures, realistic prototypes, and high-quality end-use parts.
The table below gives estimates for the lead time and pricing of producing this prototype water bottle cage for cycling, designed by Albatross Bikes.
| Manufacturing Method | Lead Time | Cost Per Part, Including Labor* |
|---|---|---|
| 3D print in-house with Color Resin V5 | 2-7 days | ~$40 |
| 3D print in Grey Resin and paint with a custom color in-house | 7-10 days | ~$70 |
| Outsource to a service bureau, either material jetting 3D printing or painting an SLA printed part | 3-14 days | $250-500 |
*Labor cost assumes $30/h operator wages.
Designed for both aesthetics and performance, the mechanical properties of Color Resin V5 are commensurate with General Purpose Resins for Form 4 Series 3D printers, with a small amount of variability depending on the color ordered.
Color Resin V5 can be ordered in quantities as little as one liter. Each order is manufactured on demand with one week of lead time and quality checked to ensure reliable results.
Color Resin V5 is currently only available in the USA, with expansion to other regions coming in the near future.
Workflow
Order Color Resin V5 in quantities starting at one liter.
Each order of Color Resin V5 includes a customized Formlabs Print Settings (FPS) file. In PreForm, click the “Download Now” button to login and download the FPS file. Then, insert your resin cartridge and dedicated resin tank in the printer and start printing.
To post-process, wash the part in Form Wash for 10 minutes. Then, post-cure at room temperature in Form Cure (2nd Generation) for one minute or Form Cure (1st Generation) for five minutes.
True Cast Resin: Precise Patterns With Clean Burnout
Since the release of Form 1, Formlabs has offered users castable resins. With Clear Cast Resin, users can print engineering parts over 3 mm thick. Now, True Cast Resin enables users to leverage the speed, accuracy, and reliability of Form 4 Series 3D Printers to create precise, detailed patterns for casting under 5 mm thick. For parts between 3 mm and 5 mm thick, select True Cast Resin for printing intricate or highly detailed parts.
Parts printed with True Cast Resin are highly accurate with crisp features, smooth surfaces, and exceptional detail, minimizing post-processing and finishing time.
Formlabs materials engineers applied the feedback from users of previous castable resins to develop True Cast Resin. This new wax-filled material is designed for precision casting of intricate jewelry and complex engineering components.
| Castable Wax Resin | Castable Wax 40 Resin | True Cast Resin | Clear Cast Resin | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applications | Fine filigree, lightweight jewelry, and dental applications | Medium to heavy jewelry and small engineering components | Medium to heavy jewelry, medallions, figurines, and small engineering components up to 5 mm thick | Demanding engineering applications over 3 mm thick |
| Compatibility | Form 2 Form 3/+ Form 4 | Form 2 Form 3/+ | Form 4 | Form 2 Form 3/+ Form 4 |
Parts printed in True Cast Resin have low expansion and maintain surface integrity with no wax migration or residue over time, allowing for a more forgiving casting experience. Low thermal expansion, minimal shrinkage, and 0.03% ash content ensure clean burnout and consistently excellent casting outcomes.
Workflow
This Frog Prince was cast in sterling silver and then set with stones.
- Heat resin at 60 ℃ for 45 minutes and shake. Then, insert the cartridge into the printer.
- Once the part is printed, wash in Form Wash for five minutes.
- Dry the part with compressed air.
- Post-cure the part for 3-10 minutes at room temperature.
- Prepare the part for casting by removing part supports, adding sprues, and attaching to a casting tree.
- Burnout and cast the part.
- Rescue part from the cast and clean, de-sprue, and finish.
Request a Free Sample Part
See and feel Formlabs quality firsthand. We’ll ship a free 3D printed sample part to your office.
PreForm: Adding Intuitive Controls for Print Set Up
Updates to PreForm, Formlabs’ free print-preparation software, make print setup easier and more intuitive while giving expert users more tools to dial in print setup. Improve part tracking, SLA surface finish, and more with the latest PreForm updates.
Face Selection Mode for Texture Tool
The Face Selection toggle allows a generated texture to be applied to a target face rather than the entire body. This precise control of texture generation enables improved aesthetics and functionality on desired surfaces without compromising other critical features in the model, like mating surfaces, snap fits, or holes.
Reduced Supports Print Setting
This setting provides users with a quick and easy option to reduce support touchpoints by 30%. The profile is optimized for fewer touchpoints, cleaner supported surfaces, and reduced post-processing. More challenging geometries may need to be reoriented to avoid print artifacts.
Part Color Coding
Assign colors to models within a PreForm Build, making them easier to identify on-screen. Colors can be applied to individual models or entire model lists and may be selected manually or randomly generated for all models in the print job.
To start using these free features, download PreForm or navigate to the Help menu in PreForm and select “Check For Updates.”
Start Printing With Formlabs
The versatile Formlabs material library spans mechanical properties, applications, and now, a full spectrum of colors. From tough and durable to biocompatible or ceramic, Formlabs resins are optimized to print with precision, accuracy, and speed on Form 4 Series 3D printers — with the aesthetics and performance you require.
Achieve custom colors that blend in or stand out — from vibrant colors to nuanced neutrals — with Color Resin V5, custom-manufactured to order. Or, use True Cast Resin for casting intricate jewelry and complex engineering components with clean burnout and excellent results.
Explore Formlabs SLA and SLS 3D printers and materials to start printing or contact sales to learn more.
