Stratasys has unveiled a new agreement with Pantone – a global authority of professional colour standards in multiple vertical industries. Under the agreement, Stratasys becomes first 3D printing solutions provider with technology officially designated as Pantone validated; it can now simulate Pantone Matching System (PMS) colours on printed objects.

The Stratasys J750 and J735 are the first 3D printing offerings fully endorsed by Pantone as meeting the standards of colour quality and realism, said Stratasys in a media statement. Backed by this substantiation, the PolyJet solutions are perfectly aligned to meet the stringent requirements of design studios as they synchronise the design-to-manufacturing process. The agreement allows for simple and accurate colour communication between designers, modellers and manufacturers – with easy ‘choose-and-print’ colour-matching to Pantone identities.

Two of the most powerful 3D printing solutions for designers, both J750 and J735 offer better product design through faster iterations, advanced design options and creation of final models that match shapes, colours, material appearance, finish and complex graphic design elements. The new validation enables Stratasys to offer thousands of printable and globally-recognised Pantone colours, ensuring all contributors to the design process are speaking the same language, potentially reducing iterations, shrinking design cost, and speeding time-to-revenue.

“Designers work hard to build realistic prototypes in ways that speed design, build and development cycles. Unfortunately, typical approaches of manually painting each and every model is time consuming,” said Hadas Schragenheim, rapid prototyping manager, Stratasys. “Our agreement with Pantone sets the stage for a revolution in design and prototype processes. As the industry’s first 3D printers officially ‘Pantone Validated,’ we’re allowing designers to build realistic prototypes faster than ever before – shrinking design-to-prototype and accelerating product time-to-market.”

It’s anticipated that Stratasys customers can access Pantone functionality directly within the GrabCAD print environment by July 2019 – assigning and applying colours to 3D printed models by browsing the relevant Pantone book.

“Pantone maintains a relentless focus on providing physical and digital design solutions that are aligned with the way modern designers work. Given the innovative applications of 3D printing in design, prototyping and production workflows, Stratasys is a natural partner-of-choice,” said Iain Pike, director of partner business development for Pantone. “Together, we’re ensuring designers and manufacturers can leverage advanced 3D printing technologies to create the most vibrant and colour-correct 3D printed prototypes the market has ever seen – and with confidence that simulated Pantone colours reflect the design intent.”

In industries ranging from consumer packaged goods to home products, Stratasys customers can now tackle design challenges with the expertise of Pantone. Eliminating wasted time and money associated with manual painting and other traditional design approaches, the combination of Stratasys and Pantone drives the highest levels of professional design for better products and greater innovation in the shortest amount of time.

Stratasys is a global leader in additive manufacturing or 3D printing technology and is the manufacturer of FDM and PolyJet 3D Printers. The company’s technologies are used to create prototypes, manufacturing tools, and production parts for industries, including aerospace, automotive, healthcare, consumer products and education. (PC)