Formlabs Medical: The Ultimate Guide to Dyeing, Painting, and Coloring SLA Parts

Introduction

The Four Techniques for Coloring SLA Parts

1. Printing With Dyed Resin

2. Dying SLA Parts After Printing

3. Painting With Acrylic

4. Coloring Hollow Parts

Healthcare professionals use diverse imaging tools to measure and better understand physiological details for diagnostic procedures. Scanners and on screen visualization tools utilize 2D and 3D graphics that can be manipulated in real time, transforming the way medicine is practiced. Although onscreen visualizations are crucial to medical practices , they have their limitations.

According to research found in the Annals of Oncology, the same imaging results from different centers sometimes show different results due to biases between techniques or between interpretations. Other limitations include image noise and statistical differences that affect the integrity of imaging results. In order to enhance accuracy levels, medical innovation teams are turning to printing and coloring 3D stereolithography (SLA) parts to complement medical imaging techniques.

Radiologists, surgeons, and biomedical professionals are increasingly turning to 3D printing to create accurate 3D models of anatomical features. These 3D models are used in the diagnostic process and as educational tools for patients, highlighting the importance of high-performing preand post-processing techniques for printed anatomical models.

This white paper will discuss the steps required for coloring SLA printed medical parts. We also highlight various coloring techniques for certain applications and show how you can achieve the best results. These techniques are for users looking to create custom dyes and colors not found in the Formlabs Color Kit.

While SLA 3D printing is renowned for its high levels of accuracy, it has well-documented limitations when it comes to printing a single part in multiple colors. While printing in a single opaque color is simple with our Color Kit, the technology for printing in multiple colors in SLA does not exist. For a multi-color capable PolyJet printers, the initial purchase is typically upwards of a hundred thousand dollars, even before any service or maintenance costs. You can always use a service bureau to create your part, but including the current cost of materials, these can cost thousands of dollars per part as well. By using the simple methods below, you can incorporate a Formlabs printer into your workflow to create colorful and detailed models for your healthcare needs.