It's finally here. A new 3D printing outfit in New York called BotObjects say that it's come up with the first full-color desktop 3D printer. Unlike other consumer-grade 3D printers, the ProDesk3D does not print in just one or two different colored plastic mediums; instead, it prints using the whole gamut of the rainbow by mixing five base colors together.
The ProDesk3D works just like other 3D printers we seen in that it still heats up ABS or PLA (Polylactic Acid) plastic filament, which it then extrudes in layers onto a build area to create an object. The major difference is that the ProDesk3D literally infuses the plastic filament with color by melting five different colors of PLA into the plastic ribbons before the plastic reaches the extruder head.
These five PLA colors are injected through a color cartridge system--similar to the ones you might find in an inkjet printer--which mixes together the base hues to create all sorts of new shades. By mixing the colors on demand, you could print an actual rainbow with all the colors--from red on one end to violet on the other.
In addition to a mixing color cartridge system, the ProDesk3D features a dual extruder head. According it its makers, the printer is also capable of printing 3D objects using layers as thin as 25 micrometers. It even comes wrapped in one of the best looking anodized aluminum casings we've ever seen on a 3D printer.
Pricing and launch dates for the ProDesk3D have yet to be announced. BotObjects, however, expects to begin taking early orders sometime this June. We can't wait to get our hands on one to see how well it does in the real world.