The 10 best full-color 3D printers in 2020
Table of contents
- What is the best full-color 3D printer?
- The best full-color 3D printers
- Overview of the best full-color 3D printers in 2020
- Other full-color 3D printers
- Multicolor 3D printing: alternatives to full-color 3D printing
- Benefits of full-color 3D printing and applications
- Full-color 3D printing service
- How much does a full-color 3D printer cost?
What is the best full-color 3D printer?
It’s complex to 3D print in full, photorealistic color, and there are less than ten 3D printer manufacturers that achieve this.
Until recently, full-color 3D printing was exclusive to expensive industrial additive manufacturing systems from brands such as Stratasys or 3D Systems. Today, more affordable (under $10K) desktop full-color 3D printers also exist.
What is full-color 3D printing?
Full-color 3D printers are able to create objects with photorealistic color.
To do so, the 3D printer must be able to mix different filaments or inks together to obtain precise shades and gradients, similar to regular 2D paper printers.
This is also known as indirect color 3D printing, as the color is applied to the base material (the base material isn’t pre-colored before 3D printing).
Full-color 3D printing vs. multicolor 3D printing
In the 3D printing industry, the term “multicolor” is sometimes used as a synonym for full-color.
However, for clarity in this article, we will only refer to multicolor for 3D printers and accessories that are able to 3D print a few colors (e.g.: 2-color 3D printers, 3-color 3D printers, Prusa multi-material add-on, Mosaic Palette, etc.).
This type of 3D printing is also called direct color 3D printing, as the filament already has a specific color before being 3D printed.

Examples of full-color 3D prints (left) and multicolor 3D prints (right).
The best full-color 3D printers
Full color 3D printer | Build volume in mm | Technology | Country | Price* | Buy |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
3D Systems ProJet CJP 660Pro | 254 x 381 x 203 mm | Binder Jetting | US | $100,000 | Quote |
ComeTrue T10 | 200 x 160 x 150 mm | Binder Jetting | Taiwan | $30,000 | Quote |
HP Jet Fusion 580 | 190 x 332 x 248 mm | Powder | US | > $50K | Quote |
Mimaki 3DUJ-553 | 508 x 508 x 305 mm | Material Jetting | Japan | $200,000 | Quote |
Rize XRIZE | 310 x 200 x 200 mm | Extrusion | US | $55,000 | Quote |
Stratasys J735 | 350 x 350 x 200 mm | Material Jetting | US | > $250K | Quote |
Stratasys J826 | 255 x 252 x 200 mm | Material Jetting | US | $100K - $250K | Quote |
XYZPrinting Da Vinci Color | 200 x 200 x 150 mm | Extrusion | Taiwan | $3,499 | Buy |
XYZPrinting Da Vinci Color mini | 130 x 130 x 130 mm | Extrusion | Taiwan | $1,599 | Buy |
XYZPrinting PartPro350 xBC | 350 x 222 x 200 mm | Binder Jetting | Taiwan | $30,000 | Quote |
*Price: These can vary over time and/or from one country to another (import fees, taxes, etc.).
Overview of the best full-color 3D printers in 2020
Desktop color 3D printers
XYZPrinting Da Vinci Color
- Technology: Extrusion
- Build volume: 200 x 200 x 150 mm
- Country: Taiwan
- Price: $3,499
More information: XYZPrinting Da Vinci Color
XYZPrinting Da Vinci Color mini
- Technology: Extrusion
- Build volume: 130 x 130 x 130 mm
- Country: Taiwan
- Price: $1,599
More information: XYZPrinting Da Vinci Color mini
ComeTrue T10
- Technology: Binder Jetting
- Build volume: 200 x 160 x 150 mm
- Country: Taiwan
- Price: $30,000
More information: ComeTrue T10
Industrial color 3D printers
3D Systems ProJet CJP 660Pro
- Technology: Binder Jetting
- Build volume: 254 x 381 x 203 mm
- Country: US
- Price: $100,000
More information: 3D Systems ProJet CJP 660Pro
HP Jet Fusion 580
- Technology: Binder Jetting
- Build volume: 190 x 332 x 248 mm
- Country: US
- Price: > $50K
More information: HP Jet Fusion 580
Mimaki 3DUJ-553
- Technology: Material Jetting
- Build volume: 508 x 508 x 305 mm
- Country: Japan
- Price: $200,000
More information: Mimaki 3DUJ-553
Stratasys J735
- Technology: Material Jetting
- Build volume: 350 x 350 x 200 mm
- Country: US
- Price: > $250K
More information: Stratasys J735
Stratasys J826
- Technology: Material Jetting
- Build volume: 255 x 252 x 200 mm
- Country: US
- Price: $10K – $250K
The J-8 series also includes the J850 and J835.
More information: Stratasys J826
Rize XRIZE
- Technology: Extrusion
- Build volume: 310 x 200 x 200 mm
- Country: United States
- Price: $55K
In addition, this color 3D printer deposits a special material– Release Ink– between the part and its support structures. Users can thereforeeasily and quickly remove the support material, leaving the part smooth and without need of post-processing.
More information: Rize XRIZE
XYZPrinting PartPro350 xBC
- Technology: Binder Jetting
- Build volume: 350 x 222 x 200 mm
- Country: Taiwan
- Price: $30K
More information: XYZPrinting PartPro350 xBC
Other full-color 3D printers
Below are a few mentions of products that are unavailable, discontinued, or suspicious.
M3D Crane Quad
The Crane Quad is a $999 desktop 3D printer that is advertised by M3D as capable of printing full-color objects with its four-in-one-out extruder. However, it has been brought to our attention that some users have never received the machine, while many others have encountered serious issues with it. A recap of user complaints and types of issues can be found in this BBB report. We don’t recommend this company.
Mcor ARKePro
Mcor debuted with the Mcor IRIS and Matrix 300+ and then launched the Mcor ARKePro full-color desktop 3D printers for professionals (updated version of the original Mcor ARKe). The ARKe used Selective Deposition Lamination (SDL) technology, which consists in depositing colored ink on sheets of paper. Mcor is no longer active.
SOMETHING 3D Chameleon
This 3D printer was announced by Israel-based SOMETHING 3D (ST3D) in 2017. The Chameleon mixes five colors together (WCMYK) to create full-color 3D prints.
ORD Solutions RoVa4D full-color Blender
The RoVa4D full-color Blender is another filament-mixing 3D printer. Canadian company ORD Solutions launched this full-color desktop 3D printer on Kickstarter in 2016, but there has been very little news about its availability since then.
Apple full-color 3D printer
There were rumors of the tech giant developing a full-color desktop 3D printer. Apple filed a patent in 2015, which was approved at the beginning of 2018. However, the project appears to be on standby as no official Apple announcements regarding 3D printing have been made.
Ilios Ray
Ilios was a 3D printer manufacturer from Cyprus that closed its doors in late 2016. Their Ilios Ray resin 3D printer was claimed to mix colors with different resin cartridges.
SKY-TECH 3DPandoras
Launched on Kickstarter in 2014, this full-color powder 3D printer was well-received by the community– at first. Since then, its backers have largely denounced this product as a scam.
Multicolor 3D printing: alternatives to full-color 3D printing
Accessories such as the Mosaic Palette or the Prusa multi-material add-on also allow for multicolor 3D printing with simple single-extruder 3D printers. They enable users to 3D print with up to four or five colors.
With SimplyColor3D software it’s also possible to program filament color changes. The software also allows users to paint 3D models and allows for less material waste during purge transitions.
Another solution is post-processing. Germany-based DyeMansion provides full-color post-processing solutions (“DyeMansion RAL color palette”) for powder-based 3D printed parts. See our post on multicolor 3D printers and multi-filament accessories for more information.

A multicolor Benchy 3D printed with the Mosaic Palette 2.
Source: Mosaic
Benefits of full-color 3D printing and applications
Full-color 3D printers allow users to obtain photorealistic 3D models with limited post-processing required. This is useful for rapid prototyping as well as for the manufacturing of end-use products:
- Realistic prototypes (e.g. packaging, architecture models)
- Customized consumer products (e.g. phone cases, figurines, toys)
- Educational items (e.g. medical models)
Full-color 3D printing service
How much does a full-color 3D printer cost?
More 3D printing resources
- Check out our selection of the 10 best 3D printers.
- Into metal 3D printing? See our metal 3D printer article.
- Try 3D scanning for free with these smartphone 3D scanner apps.
- We reference over 1,000 3D printers in our database to fuel our 3D printer comparison engine.