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标题: Desktop Full-Color 3D Printers Compared: SIMBA3D, HeyGears, Flashforge, Nuocai, FA3D and More [打印本页]

作者: admin 时间: 2026-11-15 08:04
标题: Desktop Full-Color 3D Printers Compared: SIMBA3D, HeyGears, Flashforge, Nuocai, FA3D and More
Nanjixiong introduction: Full-color 3D printers once routinely cost hundreds of thousands or even more than a million yuan, putting them mostly within reach of design studios and industrial buyers. Since the start of 2026, Chinese manufacturers have been bringing full-color systems to the desktop, with some prices dropping into the RMB 20,000–30,000 range.

On November 14, 2026, Nanjixiong reviewed public information and identified three main approaches to color 3D printing for desktops and small studios. The first uses material jetting or inkjet resin printing, depositing and curing CMYK colorants layer by layer so that color is built into the part and voxel-level gradients are possible. The second prints the object with FDM and then applies color to the outer shell with a UV printhead. The third uses multiple filaments or toolheads to print different colors with FDM and expands the palette by blending colors across layers.

Which technology and which desktop color 3D printer best suit your needs?

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Three ways to print in color
Material jetting systems such as MJP, PolyJet and WJP jet CMYK resins or inks directly onto the build layer and cure them one layer at a time. Overhanging structures and gradients on curved surfaces can be made in one build without manual painting. In hybrid FDM and UV systems, filament forms the structure and UV ink colors only a thin outer layer. Multicolor FDM switches filaments between regions, producing separate color areas where they meet. Layer blending can produce dozens of combinations from a few base colors.

I. Desktop full-color resin and material jetting printers

1. SIMBA3D / inew3d QC2A (Dongguan)
SIMBA3D is a brand of Tuoyuan Transmission Technology (Dongguan) Co., Ltd. Its new consumer line is called inew3d, and the QC2A is its desktop full-color photopolymer printer. It made its public debut at Formnext in August 2025 and went on Kickstarter around March 2026, raising about US$1.47 million (more than RMB 10 million). The early-bird price was US$7,199, with shipments beginning in June 2026.

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• Process: Photopolymer Jetting with SimbaSlicer software.
• Build volume: 200 × 160 × 80 mm.
• Layer thickness: 30 μm. Resolution: 720 × 2,880 DPI. Mechanical accuracy: 0.01 mm. Rated print speed: 15 cm³/h.
• Color: Six channels for cyan, magenta, yellow, white and clear resins plus water-soluble support. The manufacturer claims more than 500,000 true colors.
• Features: One-step AI modeling, automatic supports, one-click printing, water-soluble support and 1080p time-lapse monitoring.

2. HeyGears G1X / G1 series (Guangzhou)
Previously focused on dental and industrial resin printers, HeyGears brought full color to the consumer desktop in 2026. The G1 series raised more than RMB 120 million on Kickstarter from 4,096 backers. Initial deliveries are planned for the fourth quarter of 2026.

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• Process: Material jetting with UV curing. The system can switch between UV resin, UV ink and water-soluble ink.
• Build volume: 330 × 420 × 130 mm in open flatbed mode and 130 × 330 × 150 mm in enclosed flatbed mode.
• Layer thickness: 10–20 μm.
• Color: Eight ink channels. HeyGears claims more than 10 million colors and the ability to print full-color and transparent features together.
• Material compatibility: A claimed 400-plus base materials. Applications also include flat printing, surface texturing on 3D objects and textile transfer films.
• Price: The G1X Full-3D Pack was listed at about US$3,299–3,599 early bird and US$5,499 MSRP by third-party price sites. Consult HeyGears for official pricing.
• Workflow: AI-generated modeling in HeyVerse, slicing in Blueprint Studio, and direct transfer to the printer.

HeyGears markets it as the first desktop full-color 3D and UV printer. How it fits the category and how it performs in practice remain to be assessed once the first units arrive.

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3. Flashforge CJ270 (Hangzhou)
Flashforge previously developed material jetting expertise with wax. On October 10, 2026, it officially launched the CJ270 desktop full-color 3D printer at RMB 34,999 in China, with international presale pricing around US$3,999. It targets creative studios, designers, customization businesses and educators.

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• Process: Industrial-grade MJP material jetting with seven full-color inkjet printheads.
• Channels: Six base resins (CMYK, white and clear), plus water-soluble support material.
• Build volume: 180 × 120 × 100 mm. Layer thickness: 7 μm.
• Color: A claimed 10 million-plus colors, with gradients, texture mapping and transparent or translucent effects.
• Machine: 697 × 410 × 405 mm, weighing 33.5 kg.
• Workflow: After each layer is jetted, a leveling roller compacts and flattens it to control layer thickness. UV light then cures the layer before the next one is deposited.

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4. Guangzhou Nuocai NC-UV3D
Nuocai has long made UV flatbed, curved-surface and roll-to-roll digital inkjet equipment. It launched the NC-UV3D desktop full-color printer on November 11, 2026, at a listed price of RMB 25,800 on 1688.

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• Process: Digital Material Jetting with an Epson L1440-U2 piezoelectric printhead.
• Build volume: 150 × 200 × 150 mm. Layer thickness: 10–20 μm. Resolution: 360 × 1,080 DPI.
• Channels: CMYK, two white channels and two support channels (W × 2 + S × 2), with dedicated support material.
• Machine: 999 × 526.6 × 723.5 mm, about 55 kg. Enclosed with a viewing window and external touchscreen.
• Applications: Designer toys and cultural products, personalized gifts and keepsake models, architecture and landscape models, decorative objects, product appearance samples and educational models.

The published specifications omit color gamut, print speed, resin grades and how supports are removed. Color fidelity and layer adhesion still need to be assessed on physical samples.

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II. Multicolor and layer-blended FDM
Multicolor FDM generally sells in higher volumes at lower prices. Separate toolheads or filament systems switch materials, and layer stacking or physical mixing can create dozens of combinations from a few base colors. Because colors come from discrete regions and interlayer mixing, these systems cannot reproduce the continuous gradients of inkjet systems. This distinction matters when choosing a machine.

5. Snapmaker U1
The U1 uses SnapSwap, a four-toolhead architecture that switches among toolheads. Snapmaker says it can be expanded to as many as 16 colors. The Kickstarter campaign raised about RMB 150 million, and the printer currently starts at just over RMB 4,000.

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7. Bambu Lab H3C
The third-generation flagship launched on November 3, 2026. Its Swaptek™ rapid toolhead switching system comes with nine independent hardened-steel nozzle heads: eight for multimaterial or full-color printing and one dedicated to 2.85 mm extra-soft 75A TPU. Tool changes take 3.4–6 seconds at the fastest, with about 38 mg of waste per material change. It supports layer-blended color.

• Build volume: 330 × 320 × 325 mm, with a steel and aluminum frame.
• Price: From RMB 13,999 after the national subsidy.
• Positioning: Consumer flagship for multi-toolhead, multimaterial printing.

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8. Creality K3
The K3 uses Creality's KliTek™ nozzle switching system with four independent channels and four nozzles. The nozzle assembly switches in about five seconds. Creality says it saves about 80% in printing time and cuts material use by about 85% compared with conventional single-nozzle multicolor systems. It won an IFA 2026 innovation award and was priced at US$849 in presale.

• Build volume: 260 × 260 × 260 mm. Machine dimensions: 420 × 482 × 536 mm. Net weight: 22 kg.
• Performance: 500 mm/s print speed and 20,000 mm/s² acceleration. Layer thickness: 0.08–0.35 mm with a 0.4 mm nozzle. The machine has 37 sensors and 25 μm repositioning accuracy.
• Color blending: Creality claims 25 colors from four base CMYK filaments by blending across layers. It also notes that the process cannot match colors precisely or reproduce every specified color.
• Nozzles: Standard 0.4 mm, with optional combinations of 0.2, 0.6 and 0.8 mm nozzles. Supports flexible 85A–95A TPU.

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9. Flashforge Creator 5 / 5 Pro
The Creator 5 series uses the FlashSwap architecture with four independent toolheads, each assigned its own filament. Swapping entire toolheads reduces purge tower waste and supports multicolor and multimaterial printing. It is Flashforge's main multicolor FDM offering.

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11. InfiMech MX / MX Pro (Zhejiang Feixiong 3D)
The Kickstarter campaign launched on November 13, 2026. The flagship MX Pro has eight independent toolheads, each with its own hot end and filament feed. The printer changes whole toolheads when changing color or material. The MX has six heads, with room to add two later.

• Build volume: 300 × 300 × 300 mm for the MX Pro and 220 × 220 × 220 mm for the MX.
• Heating and features: Induction heating brings the nozzle up to temperature in about eight seconds. Features include submillimeter positioning repeatability, NFC temperature sensing, blob detection, active AI monitoring, an actively heated chamber, power-loss recovery and automatic bed leveling.
• Material savings: A model with eight colors generates just eight small purge towers throughout the build. The company claims eightfold efficiency and material savings.
• Crowdfunding: The MX Pro attracted 2,885 backers and raised US$2.13 million (about RMB 14.2 million) against a US$51,000 goal. The super early-bird tier sold out. The lowest remaining early-bird price was US$639 (about RMB 4,260).

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12. AXILOOP MC8 / MC8 Pro (Hong Kong)
The Kickstarter campaign launched on November 12, 2026. Eight independent toolheads preheat on standby and switch colors without a purge tower. AXILOOP is the 3D printing division of Xike Industrial, whose parent is Zesum Technology. It says it has more than 300 patents and lists Corning, BYD and Lens Technology among its partners.

• Build volume: 300 × 300 × 300 mm. A preheated toolhead can be swapped in as little as four seconds without a wiping or alignment step.
• Performance: 300 mm/s print speed, 600 mm/s extruder travel speed and 25,000 mm/s² acceleration. X-axis linear guide and 2,500-point eddy-current automatic bed leveling.
• Controls: 45 sensors, AI monitoring, remote app control, one-click loading and real-time status feedback.
• Support: Local after-sales service in Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the United States.

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II. Hybrid printing: FDM with UV surface coloring

5. FA3D DIO X (Shenzhen)
Shenzhen startup FA3D has a core team with experience at companies including Creality and Dreame. The DIO X is a modular desktop printer with two tool carriages. They can be configured with any combination of FDM, UV inkjet, laser, cutting and pen tools. In the process FA3D calls ColorFusion, FDM filament forms the part and infill, then a six-channel UV printhead applies color to a thin outer layer and UV light cures the ink.

• Build volume: 300 × 300 × 300 mm. Maximum print speed: 800 mm/s. Maximum nozzle temperature: 350°C. Actively heated chamber: 65°C.
• Tool changes: One second. FA3D claims alignment error under 0.25 mm and has separately cited ±25 μm. Final measurements will need to confirm the figures.
• UV color: Six ink channels at 1,440 DPI, with a claimed 10 million-plus colors. The system uses the FDM part as the base color without a white ink undercoat.
• Materials: PLA, PETG, PC, PPA and TPU. An optional conveyor belt unloads prints automatically.
• Pricing (VIP early bird / MSRP): FDM Starter, US$549 / US$899. Full-Color Starter, US$1,399 / US$2,399. Deluxe, US$3,099 / US$4,999.
• Status: In presale as of late September 2026, with a refundable US$50 deposit to lock in early-bird pricing. Kickstarter was planned for October–November.

Color is applied only to the thin shell. The structural part uses single-color filament, giving it a different finish from voxel-level color in resin jetting. FA3D markets it as the world's first full-color FDM and UV printer. Similar attempts at combining FDM with inkjet coloring date to 2017, and the claim that it is the first to use UV-curable ink still needs industry verification.

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(Finished-model photos pending from the manufacturer.)

III. Startup with no publicly unveiled full-color printer

6. Ningbo Baishida Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. (BP 3D)
Ningbo startup BP 3D develops consumer and professional 3D printers. In 2026 it completed angel and angel-plus financing rounds, with exclusive investment by GL Ventures and Jingshuihu Ventures, respectively. The funds support volume production, R&D and commercialization of its first product.

• Process: Layered membrane stereolithography (LMS). A laser cures resin, and membrane transfer forms the part layer by layer.
• Materials: Supports high-viscosity resins, leaving room to tune material performance. The company aims to reduce volatile emissions during printing and develop equipment and materials for home use.
• Team: Founder Zhou Haoliang holds a PhD from Imperial College London and has long studied 3D printing algorithms. Co-founder Li Yiqi has over a decade of experience in photopolymerization. Tang Bojiong previously led R&D and quality for Lenovo's printer business. The company has three granted invention patents covering the technology and works on materials with organizations including the Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
• Status: The first-generation product has yet to be unveiled. Build volume, color gamut, pricing and other full-color printer specifications are unavailable. This article records the company and its approach for now. Specifications can be added after launch.

(Machine photos pending public release.)

(Finished-model photos pending from the manufacturer.)

(Finished-model photos pending from the manufacturer.)

Nanjixiong's observations
The roundup shows distinct price tiers. Chinese resin jetting printers have reached RMB 25,000–35,000. The QC2A early-bird price was around US$7,199 and the G1X reached the US$3,000 range on Kickstarter. FA3D combines FDM with UV surface coloring to offer a full-color VIP package at US$1,399. Multicolor FDM spans roughly RMB 1,000 to RMB 14,000, and some crowdfunded eight-head printers cost less than RMB 5,000 at early-bird prices.

Resin jetting offers the broadest color capabilities, including gradients on curved surfaces and integrated transparent features that are hard to duplicate with FDM. Hybrid FDM and UV costs less and produces sturdier parts, but colors only a thin exterior layer. Multi-toolhead FDM offers advantages in price, material compatibility and speed. Layer blending can produce dozens of combinations within the limits of the base colors and how they mix physically.

Public specifications for these desktop printers emphasize color count, build volume and tool changes. They offer less detail about print speed, material cost per part, measured color gamut, support removal and long-term durability. How well AI modeling integrates with full-color slicing also affects print quality. Compare samples for the intended use, such as designer toys, portraits, displays or appearance prototypes, alongside stated color counts.

Specifications and prices come from manufacturer websites, product pages, Kickstarter campaigns and public media reports. Some figures are crowdfunding or early-bird prices. Consult the manufacturers' latest announcements for final prices, delivery dates and consumables policies. If we missed a desktop color printer brand, please share it in the comments.

AI-translated from an article by Kuaixiong on Nanjixiong, originally published on 2026-11-14. Text and images retain the original source attribution.
Read the original Chinese article

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