The Cost Of Fine Detail Printing At Shapeways

Shapeways' fine detail plastic printing service has been described as \rather high price\ by some users. The cost is dependent on the size of the model, with tall and low-density models being particularly expensive. The material jetting process used to create fine detail plastic is inherently more costly than other printing methods, which is reflected in the price. However, Shapeways does not provide pricing information on its website, instead asking users to upload their 3D model for a quote.

Fine Detail Plastic is priced competitively, accounting for the inherently more costly Material Jetting process

The colour of Fine Detail Plastic ranges from clear translucent to yellow-tinted translucent. It uses a waxy support material that is dissolved after 3D printing is completed. The support material slightly changes the texture of the product, and isn’t applied to the entire product, so you will see slight variability in texture over the surface of the model. Areas where the waxy support material supported the model during printing may also appear more white than the rest of the model.

Tall and low-density models are particularly more expensive to print in Fine Detail Plastic. Shapeways has moved away from their old "frosted" or translucent prints made on ProJet gear. They now sell prints using VisiJet M2R plastics, which is an improvement since the new prints don't have the "crumbly wax on one surface" problem that the old process had.

However, some users have complained about the cost of Shapeways' Fine Detail Plastic. One user wrote that after increasingly bad experiences with the quality and size of the things they ordered from Shapeways, they decided the company was no longer worth the cost.

Tall and low-density models are particularly more expensive to print in Fine Detail Plastic

Fine Detail Plastic is priced competitively, accounting for the inherently more costly Material Jetting process. The difference in printing technology between Versatile Plastic and Fine Detail Plastic allows more competitive pricing for Versatile Plastic.

Fine Detail Plastic is a material/technology combination that can create some of the finest features, like the faces on gaming miniatures with the perfect expression or the smallest blood vessels appearing on aesthetic medical models. It has been the mainstay for reasonable quality wax-supported prints in the model-making community, albeit at a rather high price.

Shapeways is an American 3D printing company. As of July 2024, the Shapeways 3D printing service has closed down.

Fine Detail Plastic is available in a range of colours, from clear translucent to yellow-tinted translucent

Fine Detail Plastic is a material/technology combination that can create some of the finest features, like the faces on gaming miniatures or the smallest blood vessels on aesthetic medical models. The material is priced competitively, accounting for the inherently more costly Material Jetting process. However, tall and low-density models are particularly more expensive to print in Fine Detail Plastic.

Shapeways used to offer reasonable quality wax-supported prints in Fine Detail Plastic, albeit at a rather high price. They have since moved away from their old "frosted" or translucent prints made on ProJet gear. They now sell prints using VisiJet M2R plastics, which has improved the "crumbly wax on one surface" problem. However, as of July 2024, the Shapeways 3D printing service has closed down.

Fine Detail Plastic is created using a waxy support material that is dissolved after 3D printing is completed

Fine Detail Plastic can create some of the finest features, like the faces on gaming miniatures with the perfect expression or the smallest blood vessels appearing on aesthetic medical models. The colour of the plastic ranges from clear translucent to yellow-tinted translucent. However, because the support material slightly changes the texture of the product, you will see slight variability in texture over the surface of the model. Areas where the waxy support material supported the model during printing may also appear more white than the rest of the model.

Shapeways' Fine Detail Plastic has been criticised for its quality and size

Shapeways Fine Detail Plastic has been criticised for its quality and size. One user on a forum for costume and prop makers wrote that they had "increasingly bad experiences" with the quality and size of the things they ordered from Shapeways and decided that the company was "no longer worth the cost". The user also noted that Shapeways had moved away from their old "frosted" or translucent prints made on ProJet gear, and now sells prints using VisiJet M2R plastics. This change in material has been criticised for creating slight variability in texture over the surface of the model, with some areas appearing more white than others.

Fine Detail Plastic is priced competitively, accounting for the inherently more costly Material Jetting process. Tall and low-density models are particularly more expensive to print in Fine Detail Plastic. The difference in printing technology between Versatile Plastic and Fine Detail Plastic allows more competitive pricing for Versatile Plastic.

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