3D printing is renowned for its flexibility and customisation capabilities. For parts 3D printed using Fused Deposition Modelling, or FDM, the available colour range is quite vast, with different finishes such as silk and matte. However, when it comes to parts 3D printed in Nylon using Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) the colours are pretty limited – you can have white or… white!
The good news is that Nylon is an extremely easy material to dye, and it can be done with standard fabric dyes.
Dyeing 3D printed objects opens up a world of opportunities for creating bespoke parts, allowing customisation and improved aesthetics.
Here is why you should dye your SLS 3D printed products:
- Customisation
Dyeing 3D printed parts allows you to achieve a wide range of colours, giving your parts a personalised touch and can also be aligned with brand colours. This is particularly useful for promotional items, product prototypes, or personalised merchandise.
- Aesthetic appeal
Coloured parts can enhance the visual appeal of your designs, making them stand out. Whether you’re creating a prototype, models or a final product, the addition of colour makes objects more visually appealing, especially for items intended for display, marketing, or consumer use.
- Differentiation
By dyeing your 3D printed parts, you can differentiate them from others and create unique products. Colour-coding 3D printed products enhances efficiency in assembly lines and simplifies product identification.
- Professional finish
Adding colour can give a professional finish to functional prototypes or final parts. The dye also penetrates the material, creating a consistent colour that distracts from minor flaws and enhances the overall finish.
- Design freedom
Dyeing provides design flexibility, allowing you to match your parts to specific applications or branding. Advanced dyeing techniques also enable gradient effects, multi-colour patterns, and other creative finishes, perfect for bespoke products.
At the 3M BIC, we can dye SLS 3D printed products in a variety of colours. We currently use All Purpose Liquid RIT dyes. The RIT colour range can be found here.
Please note, that as the process involves dyeing solid parts, rather than fabric, the final colours may vary from those shown.
If you are looking to create a 3D printed part that can be dyed to your requirements, contact a member of the team at [email protected].
