A new service hopes to help you select 3D print colors.
There have never been a greater selection of colors from 3D printer filament manufacturers. In fact, we recently ran a story about Polymaker, which now boasts an incredible 173 different colors and variants in their catalog. Actually, that number is probably even larger now as I write this.
And that’s just Polymaker; there are plenty of other filament manufacturers that produce even more colors that can be added to the options. Prusa Research, for example, has by my count, 73 variations. The number of possible colors selectable by FFF 3D printer operations could be a thousand or more at this point.
When the choice of colors was black, white, green, red, blue, and grey, it really didn’t matter. But now with so many colors it may be time to pay more attention to color choice.
It’s been known for decades that certain colors “work” with other colors. Color theory has actually broken this down into a science. Up to now, however, color theory hasn’t really been implementable in FFF 3D printing due to the lack of choice.
Now that there are choices, can color theory be used when choosing spools for prints?
Yes indeed, and there’s a new service that can help. FilamentColors.xyz is able to do so.
Somehow the site has collected color data from a wide range of popular 3D printer filament manufacturers and put them all in a comprehensive online database. The database allows for searching and comparisons of colors.
But the real value of the service is to use its implementation of color theory. You can choose a “dominant” color, and then the site automatically identifies proper complementary colors. These recommendations are not just colors: they are specific products from filament manufacturers.
This is a terrific idea that is very forward thinking, and I’m hoping many 3D printer operators make use of it.
You can even directly purchase the identified filaments through the site’s links to Amazon or other online shops. This is how the site monetizes, which is actually invisible: you don’t pay any extra or even see advertisements. The site survives on commissions from sales of filaments.
This service might not be for anyone. You don’t really need to validate color combinations for most prints, as many people will simply use any spools they have handy, regardless of color.
However, for those embarking on larger print projects where many parts with specific colors are required, this new service could be the best way to figure out exactly which filament products are required.
