3d Printed Multicolor Magnets

A few months ago, I attended my first ever hackathon, Counterspell Silicon Valley. I thought it would be cool if I made some magnets with the event logo for the event, so I did. They did not turn out very well, but I learned a lot from the process and have made much better magnets since.

3d printer with filament, magnets, glue

The design process for making a logo/image magnet is fairly straightforward. Simply run the image through an image to stl converter. I have linked the one I like to use below:

https://www.dorchester3d.com/convert/jpg-to-stl

Note: Try to use an image with just a few solid colors rather than a color blend. If you have to, remove the background using

remove.bg

before processing it through the converter.

The converter will return a model with layers, with each layer corresponding to a certain color. These layers are easy to separate into their respective colors in CAD. Once you have the layers separated into colors, stack the layers on top of each other, preferably with lighter colors on the bottom and darker ones on top. I recommend you use at least 0.4mm per colored layer to ensure the layer underneath is entirely covered during printing. Remember to include holes for the magnets in the bottom!

Once you have completed the design, you have three choices to print it:

1. Use a multiplexing system or toolchanger

If you have a multiplexing system or toolchanger on your 3d printer, you can export the layers separately, combine them in the slicer, and print the whole magnet all at once.

2. Split up the Gcode file

If you don't have access to a multicolor capable 3d printer, you can export the whole magnet as a single file, slice it as a single file, and either insert pauses between the layers of different colors, or split it up into several gcode files, and simply switch the filament between pauses/prints.

3. Online 3d printing services

If you need a large number of magnets produced for an event or do not have access to a 3d printer, you can use online 3d printing services such as Justway.

To place an order on Justway, click this link, select 3d printing, and click Upload your design. This will take you an order page where you can upload your CAD files. When placing the order, makes sure to select "multicolor" in the color section and enter your preferred color scheme in the special requests box.

Once all selections have been made, submit your request and wait for it to be approved. Once approved, pay for the order and wait for the parts to arrive. I have used Justway's 3d printing and CNC services for several projects, and the parts produced are accurate and high quality.

Once the parts have finished printing, simply glue the magnets into the holes you included in the design and you're done!

Once the parts have finished printing, simply glue the magnets into the holes you included in the design and you're done!