Common paints like acrylics and enamels will be compatible with most primers. Many common primers will be labeled as “plastics compatible,” and these tend to be suitable for most 3D printing materials. Your primer must be compatible with both the material of your printed part and your paints.
Primers come in a number of different weights: light primers go on as thin coats and will provide a smooth surface for painting but won’t mask scratches and artifacts in your part, while heavy primers are thicker and are a good choice for large parts that lack intricate details. Masking paints are also available which are brushed on and then manually removed after use.Ī wide variety of primers exist, and which you choose will depend on your part properties and the paints you’re using. The most common is painter’s tape, which can be cut and shaped to your geometries. This process is known as masking, and several mediums can be used to cover your parts. They smooth out artifacts in your model, provide a bonding surface for paint, and create a consistent finish.īefore priming your part, identify any features that you won’t be painting and cover these. Primers serve as an intermediary layer between your printed part and paints. A heavy primer can be used as an alternative to sanding, though this might obscure any intricate details in your part. This will ensure that scratches don’t show up in your painted model.įor FDM printers with large layer heights, sanding the entire model might be necessary prior to painting to make certain that that the layering isn’t visible. To remove the nubs, start with a coarse sandpaper of around 100 grit and work up to at least 200 grit. For SLA 3D printers, this involves removing the support structures and sanding down the support nubs. Your printed model should be smooth and devoid of artifacts prior to painting. Resin printers like the Formlabs Form 2 are best for painted parts, both because of the high resolution and the ability to use some paints directly on the printed surface. Starting with a detailed and well-printed model will make the rest of the painting process easier and improve your final results. Navigating the various different materials and techniques can be intimidating, and in this post you’ll learn all of the steps needed to paint your parts from start to finish.
Learning to paint your 3D printed parts will enable you to create looks-like prototypes, detailed miniatures, and a variety of other visually accurate models.