The launch of the HeyGears G1X brings colour 3D printing to the desktop starting at a sub-£3,000 price point.
Using an Epson I3200 printhead, the G1x prints 10–20 μm layer thickness, via 8 channels – CMYK, double white and transparent resins, along with water-soluble support material – it allows for colour 3D and textured 2D Printing in a UV Printing mode.
Using HeyGears-developed algorithms, the Epson printhead precisely controls droplet size, placement and layer-by-layer dot distribution across the 580 x 660 × 510mm build area.
Integrated into the print carriage, LiDAR measures the initial build height and monitors layer thickness in real time throughout full-color 3D printing with accuracy up to ±0.01 mm. The system uses this data to dynamically adjust material output across channels, helping maintain consistent layer thickness and a flatter cross-section.
Additionally, a line-scan camera continuously scans the print surface in real-time, helping curved and long-format prints stay accurately aligned without image distortion.
The software workflow for professional full colour 3D printing is unclear – HeyGears states that its HeyVerse AI and Blueprint Studio allows users to generate high-fidelity models from text or images, but a CAD/3D render-to-print workflow is not yet mentioned.
3MF files developed in Keyshot, for example, are not natively accepted, meaning reliance on OBJ files for colour and texture. Instead, Hey Hears says its Raster Image Processor (RIP) algorithms allow over 10 million colours and gradients.
On the face of it, in professional workflows and design studios, the G1X will be better suited for its ability to print directly onto over 400 compatible materials, including metals, acrylics, wood, leather, ceramics and existing 3D printed models. In UV mode, the G1X 8-channel ink system is capable of up to 1440×2400 dpi resolution.
The G1X supports up to 10mm of 3D texture height, though a maximum of 5mm is recommended for better print quality and stability, allowing users to reproduce realistic surfaces like leather, wood carving, brushstrokes and braille.
Launching via Kickstarter, the pricing of the full modular system ramps up to $16,995, with all the elements to allow for its versatile 2D, textured UV and 3D printing abilities.
An interesting product aimed more at makers and hobbyists, given the increase in HeyGears’ pro line-up, it will be interesting to see if a desktop competitor to Mimaki’s colour 3D printing or Stratasys’ Polyjet technologies comes to the market.
