How It’s Done
From file, to finished piece
Our 3D printing process always follows the same four stages, in order: design, colour, printing, finishing. Here’s what actually happens between a design landing in the inbox and a piece leaving the studio.
Stage 01
Design & software
Every job starts as a file, whichever way it arrives.
Source or model the design
Some pieces come from a client’s own file; others start from a model found on MakerWorld or Printables and adapted; we usually build logos and signage from scratch to match the brief exactly. Whatever the source, we check everything for wall thickness and overhangs before it goes anywhere near the printer.
Prep the file in the slicer
Bambu Studio handles the slicing: we set orientation, supports, infill density, and layer height here (0.2mm for most jobs, finer for detail work). This is also where we map colour changes for the AMS, so we plan a multi-colour piece as data, rather than touching it up afterwards.
Plan the plate
We nest individual files together into a single plate layout wherever possible — this is the point where a one-off keyring becomes part of a full batch run, arranged to make the most of the bed before anything prints.
Stage 02
Colour & material
Colour is a physical choice, not a digital one — we pick it here, rather than adjusting it later.
Pick the spool
Each spool is a single, pre-made colour — there’s no in-printer mixing the way an inkjet blends CMYK. We choose colour from what’s actually on the shelf, and multi-colour designs work by switching spools mid-print via the AMS rather than blending anything.
Match to an exact brand colour, if needed
Filament colour gets you close to a Pantone or RAL reference, not identical to it. Where an exact match matters — a corporate logo, say — we handle that with a post-print paint pass rather than tuning the filament itself.
Choose the material for the job
PLA Basic, PLA Matte, or PETG Translucent Clear — the choice depends on what the piece needs to do, not just what colour it needs to be. See the material breakdown further down this page.
Stage 03
The 3D printing process in action
Where the coastal climate and the batch-first approach actually matter.
Dry the filament
Orihuela’s coastal air pulls moisture into filament fast, and damp filament prints brittle, stringy, or with a rough finish. Every spool goes through the eSUN eBox before we load it — PLA gets a shorter cycle, PETG a longer one — so the material behaves the same way every time, regardless of the week’s humidity.
Batch on the plate
We fill the X2D’s bed to capacity, rather than running one item at a time. The heated chamber keeps warping in check across a full plate, and the dual nozzle lets two colours or materials print in the same job without a manual swap — one run typically covers a full batch of keyrings or several signage panels at once.
Monitor the run
We check longer batch jobs partway through, catching first-layer adhesion issues and any early signs of a failed part before hours of print time go to waste on a piece that was never going to finish clean.
Stage 04
Finishing & QC
The print coming off the plate is rarely the finished product.
Remove supports & clean up
Supports come off, we sand or scrape back seams, and clean up any stringing by hand before calling a piece done.
Paint, if an exact match is needed
We give any piece requiring a precise Pantone or RAL colour a targeted paint pass at this stage — the print gives the shape, the paint gives the exact colour.
Assemble, for signage
We fit the WS2812B LED strip behind the PETG Translucent Clear diffuser panel on every backlit sign, wire it up, then test-light it before boxing anything.
QC & pack
We check every piece against the original spec — dimensions, colour, and finish. Anything not going out immediately goes into dry storage rather than sitting on a shelf, then we box it for collection, courier, or the next market table.
Why a heated chamber and dual nozzle matter
A reliable 3D printing process depends on stable temperatures: the heated chamber keeps warping and layer separation down on larger or more geometric prints — the kind of lattice and lightweight structures that hold up a batch run without failing partway through. The dual nozzle means two materials or colours can run in one job without a manual filament change, which is what makes filling the whole plate worthwhile rather than printing pieces one at a time.
Materials at a glance
Three spools, three jobs
Filament choice isn’t just colour — each material suits a different kind of piece.
PLA Basic
Everyday pieces
A clean, slightly glossy finish. Good general-purpose choice for keyrings, small merch, and anything that doesn’t need to flex or take heat.
PLA Matte
Refined finish
A soft, non-reflective surface that hides layer lines better than PLA Basic — the usual pick for office accessories and anything handled often.
PETG Translucent Clear
Backlit & functional
Tougher and more heat-resistant than PLA, and the only one of the three that lets light through evenly — the diffuser layer on every backlit sign.
Filmed as we go
Follow the build
Every batch is documented on the Osmo Pocket — from first slice to the finished shelf. Video embed placeholder.
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