over several media. Designers utilise
textile samples and PANTONE™
colour charts, as well as printed and
online images to determine CMF for
new product designs. In addition, the
product’s measurements, geometry
and build is reflected in a 3D file that
can result in a basic single colour
physical 3D-printed prototype –
which can be painted or ‘dressed up’
to more realistically reflect the design
idea. This not only makes it difficult
to translate the design idea quickly
and uphold faith in the product design
when presenting it to stakeholders,
but it also denies easy design
iterations and accurate testing among
focus groups or potential buyers.
In order to have a prototype final
product at the end of the design
process, some design studios outsource
the creation of full-colour
prototypes to global suppliers. This
is in fact a US$ 5.3 billion market ,
yet the delivery time for models is
lengthy and usually takes several
weeks. Furthermore, the associated
cost can be several thousand dollars
(for a 10-15cm long model). An added
The absence of
an easy, fast and
affordable solution to
create full colour concept
models or high-fidelity
prototypes to test and
present a product’s
geometry, functionality,
and look and feel is an
challenge comes in
communicating the exact
CMF look to the external
supplier – as the geometric
shape is kept in a 3D file,
yet the CMF information is
carried in other mediums (images,
slides, PPT, notes etc). Relaying
design information from one person
to another is therefore difficult, and
leaves room for error. With such
huge cost and long waiting times,
designers typically only leverage this
high-end outsourcing option to create
a model of the finalised product for
marketing purposes.
The answer – full-colour
multi-material 3D printing is
straightforward, yet still not that
widely used within the design
world. In fact, only a few leading
corporations have leveraged the
potential of this technology for their
in-house design requirements. Those
that have are granted the means
to create ultra-realistic 3D printed
design prototypes in little time,
which can be iterated and adapted
to deliver visually impactful designs.
One such technology is Stratasys’
J-Series PolyJet 3D printing, which
ena-bles PANTONE validated full
colour capabilities and a choice of up
to seven different polymer materials –
all united in a single print.
Providing up to 500,000
distinguishable colour combinations,
the J-Series technology not only
opens up unparalleled design
freedom but gives designers the tool
to fully integrate CMF prototypes into
the ongoing design process. This
saves both time and money, thanks
to quicker decisions, improved CMF
design iterations, and no external lead
times for models.
Designers can use ultra-realistic
3D printed prototypes as a tool to
convey and sell their design ideas
to prospective customers and
stakeholders. This can also raise
confidence in the design idea, without
dependence on different digital
media.
This capability to combine
different materials in a single
print pushes the boundaries
of design realisation much
further. This opens up the
possibility for improved
design representation,
as textures and
different material
surfaces can accurately
be represented – from
wooden textures, marble
effects to glass. Combining
this with PANTONE™ validated
colour spectrums brings CMF
directly into the prototyping process
and enables designers to create
3D printed prototypes with such
true-to-life accuracy that they are
indistinguishable from the final
product.
In terms of consumer behaviour
and designing a successful product,
full colour 3D printed prototypes also
open up the opportunity of AB testing.
The ability to undertake this market
research with 3D printed prototypes
(in focus groups for example) gives
designers or stakeholders the
opportunity to decide on the most
popular CMF design for the product.
For designers, full-colour, multimaterial
3D printing is the tool that
enables designers to overcome
existing CMF design barriers and
realise product designs exactly as
they envisaged. !
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