3D Printing/ Additive Manufacturing
Article

Advanced Multi-Color and Full-Color 3D Printing

by
Stratasys
May 16, 2025
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Summary

Stratasys highlights how full-color 3D printing with PolyJet technology empowers designers to produce ultra-realistic prototypes featuring Pantone-validated colors, lifelike textures, and multi-material finishes, streamlining the design process from concept to final product.

Have you ever picked up a 3D print and had to do a double take? That’s the power of full-color 3D printing - it blends realism, brand accuracy, and tactile design into a single, seamless build.

So what exactly is the difference between color 3D printing, multi-color 3D printing, and true full-color 3D printing? Can one machine do it all? And which technology fits your application?

This article aims to answer all your questions about 3D printing in color - and show you what’s possible with industrial-standard full-color 3D printing from Stratasys.

What’s the Difference Between Multi-Color 3D Printing and Full-Color 3D Printing?

Full-color 3D printing and multi-color 3D printing are often used interchangeably, but if we’re being accurate, there is a difference.  

Full-color 3D printing colors a base material as it prints (just like your CMYK 2D desktop printer), creating photo-realistic parts with subtle color gradients, textures, and branding accuracy. In fact, full-color 3D printing blends CMYKW (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, and White) materials in fine layers to produce vivid, Pantone-accurate results. It’s ideal for consumer packaging prototypes, anatomical models, and anything that needs to look realistic.

By contrast, multi-color 3D printing uses pre-colored filaments or resins to create separate zones of color. There’s no blending - just clear, distinct color areas. This makes multi-color 3D printing ideal for fixtures, functional prototypes, and safety-critical components where visual clarity matters.


Whether you choose full-color 3D printing or multi-color 3D printing, the right choice depends on how your part needs to look, feel, and function.

Read the article in full here.

Stratasys
Stratasys

Stratasys, Ltd. is an American-Israeli manufacturer of 3D printers and 3D production systems for office-based rapid prototyping and direct digital manufacturing solutions.

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