Jan 19, 2016 | By Kira

Hoping to get in on the phenomenon that is 3D printed cosplay costumes, Polish 3D printing company Zortrax has unveiled its very own, self-designed 3D printed superhero mask, and has unleashed the free, customizable STL 3D printing files for users to transform themselves into expert costume makers by day, and legendary cosplay superheroes by night. The mask consists of 46 3D printed parts created on a Zortrax M200 3D printer, and even incorporates LED lights behind the eyes for a somewhat sinister, yet very cool, finishing touch.

We have seen a lot of amazing 3D printed cosplay outfits in the past—two of my favorites being this 3D printed StarCraft Nova armor, which took over 500 hours to make, and this crazy intricate 3D printed Batman: Arkham Knight suit. Indeed, 3D printing has opened up entirely new possibilities in cosplay costume creation, allowing fans to transform 3D models from video games into affordable, customized, and richly detailed costume pieces, perfectly tailored to fit their individual bodies (case in point? This 3D printed Furiosa prosthetic arm designed for a cosplaying amputee).

“Everyone who has ever had a chance to see cosplayers in action knows that their costumes serve as real trophies and an example of craftmanship involving many hours of hard work,” said Zortrax. “For us the whole process of making props and costumes is even more interesting as it leaves a huge space for 3D printing technology and limitless area for creativity. We couldn’t resist not to pick up this topic and share with you our variation of the mask of a classic super hero.”

3D printed in matte black Z-HIPS, a filament designed for 3D printing large objects, the ‘Legendary Zortrax’ Superhero Mask was inspired by Batman’s sleek and modern silhouette, but with a few ‘bad boy’ details, including an exoskeleton spine and mini red LED lights installed behind the eyes. According to Zortrax, the Superhero Mask was designed by their own Piotr Czyżewski, who added his own edgy and contemporary elements to update the classic superhero look.

“The overall look was based on the interpretation of the gothic designed character that was given the anatomical elements of a spine, creating the impression of a solid shield… By inserting the small led lights behind the hero’s read eyes we obtained the desirable effect of the gloomy and scary look and made an interesting contrast with the overall black mat surface. The use of sharp lines to details like nose, ears or the overall face shape somehow reflect the personality of a comic hero, his roughness and strength.”

In order to get this Superhero Mask from concept to finished 3D print, Czyżewski first created a draft in his 3D modeling program, and after adding a few final touches, exported the digital file to Z-Suite’s slicing software. Here, he prepared the model for 3D printing by choosing the printing material, layer thickness and infill. Zortrax chose Z-HIPS as the 3D printing material due to its durability, resistance—as an added bonus, the black ZHIPS filament has a smooth matte finish that absorbs light and didn’t even require any additional post-processing.

After 11 hours of 3D printing on an M200, a total of 46 3D printed parts were screwed together (plus 4 pieces that were glued together to create a 3D printed stand). Finally, the LED lights were installed behind the eyes, and the entire 3D printed superhero mask was ready to be proudly displayed.

Though I’m not 100% sure that if I saw this guy on the street I’d take him for a superhero per se, as he does have something of a tough, villain-esque vibe about him (especially with those glowing red eyes,) it is nevertheless an awesome 3D printing project that would be sure to impress at any cosplay or costuming event. And, if you wanted to customize it with your own superhero logo, or adjust the measurements so that it could actually be worn, you can thanks to Zortrax’s customizable 3D print files, which can be downloaded for free here.

3D printing technology is opening entirely new doors for cosplayers to create more realistic, customized, and affordable costumes than ever before, and with this simple yet well-designed 3D printed Superhero Mask, Zortrax demonstrates that you don’t need to be a professional designer, nor do you even need a high-end professional 3D printer, to be able to get into making 3D printed cosplay costumes of your very own.

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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EDGE wrote at 6/16/2016 7:28:49 PM:this is the most awesomest mask i have ever seen. I wish if this mask was combined with the Arkham Knight suit. I wish to see more,,,,,/.devost wrote at 3/14/2016 1:56:55 AM:never received the link or couldn't find one , I'm upset with this company, !!!!!!Samer Najia wrote at 1/21/2016 8:24:05 PM:I was able to download the files. Very complete. Going to be fun to print too!matt wrote at 1/21/2016 12:40:39 AM:Same here...matt wrote at 1/21/2016 12:39:19 AM:Same here never got it and cant find it the link that is...3Der wrote at 1/20/2016 4:47:49 PM:Cound anyone actually download it? After I subscrived to the newslater and confirmed in the e-mail, never got the link to download.



