During the festive season, there are a lot of shiny sparkly decorations around. Having a 3D printer, it is very tempting to try and make something special. As we are not much of the artists, spray painting 3D prints seemed like an easy solution. And what a variety of paints on offer!

It does not matter which color to print in, so we went for a dull white filament, to make the transformation more dramatic. Christmas Deer design by Yeg3D was perfect for our task.

Spray Painting 3D Prints – Top Things to Consider

– Location: Spray painting should be done in the controlled environment with no draft or wind. Any items in the proximity to the spraying zone must be covered. Keep your camera at a safe distance if filming, as the tiny specks of paint can get on it. Even the slightest movement of air makes the paint particles spread and stick to anything in their path. A shed or a garage can be ideal for this. We would never recommend to do it at home.

Think in advance of the place to stand your freshly painted object, it may have to stay there overnight.

We found that spraying while holding a print inside a cardboard box worked well. It protected the surroundings from paint and sheltered the finished item from dust while drying.

– Preparation: Before applying any paint or primer onto a plastic surface, make sure that it is free from any dust or dirt. We recommend to use fine sandpaper to make the object’s surface a bit less shiny and more adsorbent. After sanding, the surface should be brushed or wiped clean. The object can be primed before the paint is applied. This will treat the surface and help the paint to stick better.

– Type of paint: There are different types of spray paints: the ones transparent with just the glitter and the ones that actually apply the color. When using the first option, the original color of the make will come through. We also found, maybe unlucky with the brand, that it needed a lot of spraying and took too long to dry. The silver metallic spray paint though was incredible. It dried much quicker and was easy to apply.

Spray Painting 3D Prints – YouTube Video

– Safety: Spray paint is a hazardous product. It is flammable, toxic, and can cause harm when breathed in. In some shops, there is even an 18 age limit for some spray paints. Please make sure to wear appropriate clothes, rubber gloves, and a respirator.

Featured objects were spray-painted in the known brands available on Amazon, namely, Rust-Oleum Gold, Cobra Silver, and Montana Cans Bronze. (Disclosure: at no additional cost for you we will receive a commission if a purchase happens)

More Images: Spray Painting 3D Printed Models Gallery

Spray painting 3D printed models has a big potential. It is sad to see objects not being used just because of some minor flaws or dull colors. We know that there are more sophisticated methods of post-processing available, like airbrush or vapor smoothing for ABS, but spray painting is one of the easiest in our opinion. Before – After gallery of spray painted 3D printed parts.

STL files:

Dragon Wine Glass

by Cemal Cetinkaya.

Hexagon Nut Planter

by Armando Lopez.

Christmas Deer

by Yeg3D.

Adalinda

by Louise Driggers.

Wine Hand

by Kostas Koukoudis.

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