Easy Colour Changing 3D Print!

Now, I want to give credit where it's due here - I came across this idea when Teaching Tech mentioned this Voxelized Skull by Make Anything in one of his videos. I loved the illusion and it really got my brain working on what else you could do using similar techniques!

Of course shiny is always better and iridescent elevates anything to just god tier levels of awesome so that was what I aimed for but you could use the same technique for a whole variety of results!

I'll be using TinkerCad to make my initial shape and will include the steps for that too but you can use any shape you like whether it's an existing stl or something you've designed yourself - feel free to skip the first step if you have your stl ready to go already :)

It's also worth mentioning that this is so quick and easy if you have an airbrush

If you don't, it is still 100% possible but will take a bit more time and patience so do bear that in mind

Required

• 3D printer
• Filament - I used Eryone Silk PLA
• Airbrush/Paintbrush/Markers etc. of your choice - I used:
  • Vallejo Game Inks
  • Iwata Neo airbrush

Optional

• Clear top coat (optional but I recommend it) - I buy mine from Wilko
• Tinkercad account - if you want to make your own shape

I'm going to keep this step nice and quick :)

As I mentioned before, you don't need to create your own shape, you can use an existing design or can create your own in the software of your choice

As this was a bit of an experiment I didn't want to spend a long time on a fancy design only to find it didn't work out so I used TinkerCad and kept my design very simple for this first attempt:

1. Jump into TinkerCad and start a new project!
2. Find a shape you like the look of - I went with the diamond from the basic shapes but feel free to pick something else or build something using several shapes instead!
3. Resize the shape - I recommend making it at least 100 x 100 x 100mm as if it's too small, it'll be more difficult to paint
4. Rotate the shape so it has a flat surface at the base if possible
5. Export your shape as an stl

To create the voxelised version of your shape we'll use a free online tool as it's just a whole lot quicker and easier than creating the shape yourself!!

Here is a link to the tool we'll be using

• Once you're on the site, click the "open file" button and upload your stl
• You'll need to make sure both of the smaller sliders are set to the max (1025 and 1.00)
• Choose how voxelated you want it to be by moving the larger slider - I'd suggest anything between 20 and 60 should be fine for most projects - I used 40 for mine
• Once you're happy, click the "save as stl" button and your voxelised stl should download

If you have any trouble, I've annotated the screenshot above!

If you've seen my instructables before, you probably know what's coming here but I'm going to say it again anyway - I will not be giving you setting, profiles, gcode etc. there are so many different printers, filaments, slicers etc. out there that it's not reliable and can even be dangerous and cause damage to your printer.

I always give a few general tips based on the model though - assuming yours is similar to mine:

• You will need a few supports but only touching the build plate
• You shouldn't need a brim or raft (if you're using your own shape then YMMV)
• Your normal settings should be fine, we're not asking the printer to do anything too complicated here :)
• I'd suggest using PLA as you'll get nice sharp corners and if you want the shiny effect, I'd use a silk PLA
  • I'm mentioning this here as quite often silk PLAs need a slightly higher print temperature so you may need to factor that in when slicing :)
• I'd suggest using at least 15% infill and 4 top layers to make sure the tops of the voxels print nicely

Once sliced, you're ready to print - just do this as you would print any other model!

This is the fun bit! (To me anyway)

I used Vallejo Game Inks as they have a strong colour but act more like a glaze so would maintain the shine and still show some of the original colour through - this gives more of an iridescent effect which is what I wanted.
If you wanted a more matte look or more distinct colours, I'd recommend using something like acrylics instead - you can always get the shine back with a gloss coat afterwards :)

If you have an airbrush:

• Pick your colours
• With your first colour, holding your airbrush at a 90 degree angle to the model and from at least 30cm away mist one side of the shape
• Repeat until you have an even coating on only that face of the model
• Rotate the model 90 degrees and repeat with your next colour on the next face
• Repeat for the other faces
• Optional - repeat for the top and bottom of the shape as well

If you don't have an airbrush I'm afraid this is a slightly more tedious process but still completely possible to do - you will need to manually paint/colour all of the faces on each side of the model in your choice of colours!

Once you've applied your colours, I'd recommend a top coat to protect your paint work! I used a gloss lacquer as I wanted mine to shine but you can also get matte top coats if you prefer.

Tip: If you used anything alcohol based to colour with such as Sharpies - be careful what top coat you use and apply it in light layers and from a fair distance as they can react with the ink and spoil all your hard work if you're not careful!!

Enjoy your fancy, shiny, magic, colour changing print!

Show it off, display it, do whatever you like with it! Maybe even pop a picture of it in the makes here so I can see it?

Whatever you do with it, I really hope you had fun making it! :)