Who does not know about Pokemon? Talk about the character and you would find out how popular these cute little hypothetical creatures are. And, not among just kids, but adults alike.
So, why shouldn’t we 3D print Pokemon and create some astonishing models? Although the character gained recognition years back, the recent movie release did bring these cute faces to the limelight a little further.
3D printing is already a fun hobby for many. It not only helps industries while creating products or prototypes but has moved many DIY specialists with its potential to explore more.
Hence, you would find a lot of online 3D models submitted by various 3D artists who love sharing their work with others.
And, the best part is that you can find a collection of unique designs with so many variants of the character.
Alongside, if you have kids at home, there is no fun way to engage them with 3D printing. Your teenagers would love to contribute to the project. And why not, who does not like Pokemon?
Besides, you can experiment with different techniques of 3D printing by changing the design with complex details. And, earn some tricks up your sleeves.
However, before you go ahead, you must be prepared to encounter a few fallbacks, especially if you are a novice.
If you already have some expertise handling such models with finer details, you can very well succeed in your first attempt as well.
But do not give up. The results do compensate for all your hard work and patience. And, that smile on your face after accomplishing the Pokemon 3D print would definitely make you pat your back right away.
What Tools You Would Need to 3D Print Pokemon?
Before we go ahead and explain the entire process of 3D printing these cute characters, why not find out the tools you would be needing to complete this project.
Trust this, being prepared to tackle every step of your creation would boost your confidence. You would know what’s coming next and can gaze the possibilities and challenges in advance.
So, here is all the things that you would need to 3D print Pokemon.
- The 3D printer of course (In case you decide to outsource the model, you may skip this one)
- Sandpaper to smoothen the layers of your print (Even if you order from outside, you may keep it handy in case you need to further smoothen the surface for your satisfaction).
- A 3D Model (This is what you would be printing. So, you must choose the models you like. And, the ones that can fit inside your 3D printer. Looking to outsource, it is still recommended to use your own file to receive the 3D model you have been expecting).
- Spray Paints (Colours you can decide. However, you must also keep in mind the character on-screen visualization to provide your model with a more realistic touch).
- Oil Paints (To accentuate eyes and other fine details. Ensure to keep different sizes of paintbrush ready, just in case).
After you have accumulated all the necessary equipment, it is time to jump to the 3D print Pokemon lessons.
How to 3D Print Pokemon?
Starting 3D printing is not the toughest part. However, being patient and handling the challenges with necessary setting changes could help you progress in the right direction. The same attitude is required whenever you plan to 3D print something that you haven’t created before.
With all that in mind, let us find out how can you get the best model for your favourite Pokemon Character.
Design the Digital Pokemon Model
While there are hundreds of 3D designs available on online repositories, you can always choose to go with the creator inside. However, those who aren’t very sharp with the 3D designing application may utilize the opportunity to learn and not demotivate themselves.
If you still want to get a unique design for printing, you can choose to make edits to the basic file downloaded from any of the online websites.
There are different designs available on Thingiverse and other popular websites. You can get 3D files for a variety of Pokemon characters.
There are even board games 3D files based on Pokemon characters are available on the websites. You can browse between different files and choose the one you like to print.
So, when getting a 3D model, you have got two choices. Either design it yourself or, download the already designed digital files. You do have the option to make changes to the pre-designed files.
Hence, you have the flexibility to accomplish the project with fewer efforts while at the same time, not erasing the creativity quotient all together.
Here are a few suggestions of the files you can download from the internet.
Select the Filament
This is a very crucial step. The different filaments provide varying properties to the end results. And, you must understand each one before you plan the next step.
However, you must also consider the filament support by your particular 3D printer.
In most of the cases, ABS will do the right job in getting you the best balance of strength and flexibility. The models may not be as smooth as the PLA prints.
And, that is why you may need sandpaper to further enhance the aesthetical looks for the model.
Print 3D Model for Pokemon
Do not just start printing right away. Make sure that the printer has the right settings. The bed is properly labelled and the printer is calibrated. And, then you can go ahead and slice your file for 3D printing.
When it comes to printing, you must find the most suitable way to get the prints with less hassle. For instance, the low Poly Chikorita model, you must print the head and body separately.
After printing both these parts separately, you can stick them together with acetone.
However, do not forget that the acetone sticks the parts together by melting the surface of the polymer. So, use in less quantity. Otherwise, the entire model will be destroyed.
To ensure that you do not accidentally use the access amount of acetone, you can make use of cotton swabs. This would help in spreading the liquid in the minimum quantity, just as much required to stick the two parts together.
Post Processing of the 3D Model
Now that you have printed the model with success, it is time to provide it with the final touch. This means you may have to go through a few extra steps to get the desired looks.
Start with Sanding: As mentioned before, the ABS parts aren’t as smooth as PLA. So, you must sand the 3D model before making any further changes to it.
You must be willing to paint the model to make it look closer to its real avatar. In such a case, sanding becomes even more important.
Otherwise, with the painted surface, the roughness would become even more visible.
You may also choose to go with the coloured filament instead of using regular white ABS.
However, in such case too, you must outline the eyes and other features to complete the design. And, for doing so, you would need to paint the features with acrylic or oil paint.
So, whatever you choose, you must ensure that the surface of the model is smoother.
Either Choose the Coloured Filament or Use Spray Paints: The Pokemon character has one dominating colour. For instance, Pikachu is yellow in colour, apart from the other fewer colours, you use for eyes and different features.
But yellow is the most dominating colour of this character. Hence, spray paint would help you colour the white ABS into yellow, faster. Alternatively, you can choose the Yellow colour filament. However, the choices of spray paint colours are more than filament colours anytime.
So, if you aren’t able to find the perfect filament shade for your Pokemon character, you can anytime opt for painting the character.
Oil Paint to Colour Eyes and Other Features: Now, this is necessary. You won’t like your character to look even slightly different from the real avatar.
And, if you urge for perfection too, do not forget to use the oil paint with different size brushes to get the finer details with great precaution.
You can also use oil paints instead of spray paint. These can provide an even spread of the colour. However, these are time taking routine in comparison to spray paint.
There are ways to make your Pokemon look different if you rather choose to go for an unordinary look for the character. Try using mixed colours instead of just yellow. And, feel the difference.
It’s your Pokemon, you certainly can make it look the way you wish to. And, do not forget to paint the clear coat after the first layer of paint dries up.
This will provide a protective coat to your model. And, it would stay fresh for longer.
More Designs to 3D Print Pokemon
There are already a few suggestions above. However, can we ever get bored of picking more choices and printing these characters every now and then? No, isn’t it? So, here are a few more unique and amazing ideas to print.
Sleeping Pokemon
Lazy but cute, the sleeping Pokemon. Can you agree anymore? The beautiful and attractive sleeping Pokemon can impress almost everyone. And, the 3D printed character looks even better than the ones on TV.
If you remember the cartoon from years back, the sleeping Pokemon can never get bored of sleeping. And, it usually sleeps when taking an important long route.
Hence, these could become one of the major avatars for your board games.
When encountered, the player would be stuck until he or she completes some specific task.
There could be various varieties of the same. You just have to think out of the box.
The question why the sleeping beauty is adored so much is that it carries great punches and do tricks when awake.
Hence, is certainly an important part of the team. The design is available on MyMiniFactory.
Pokemon Ball
How could you complete the list of printable items relating Pokemon without getting the ball Pokemon? Definitely a great pick for those who love printing Pokemon and related models.
The pack is incomplete without these balls. After all, they are powerful with the astonishing energy stored inside those that can electrify almost everyone.
Shellfish Pokemon
Once again available on MyMiniFactory, this Pokemon character is a true treat to the eyes. The blue character poses immense power to double the strength of your team.
However, it isn’t very easy to print. You will have to print in parts and connect them later.
But once the parts come together, you can very well boast about your hard work by showcasing it on the shelves. Or, you can also use it for fights and games.
The Conclusion
We cannot stress anymore on the fact that Pokemon are everyone’s favourite. With them, the game involving these characters are also getting popular.
It is far away from losing its fame among children and adults alike. And, the Pokemon fans keep coming with attractive and beautiful 3D models of their favourite characters.
You can even find makers who are willing to create the entire league of 3D printable Pokemons. The proofs are scattered all over the internet.
Almost every online repository has at least one Pokemon file. And, guess what? The number of downloads is considerate enough to showcase how popular these characters are.
If you also wish to 3D print Pokemon, you must go ahead. With all the directions and files available online, it won’t be much of a hassle. And, once you create one, you can even go for designing another character all by yourself.
The choices are numerous and these arrays of options could certainly lead you to the Pokemon character you have been wanting to 3D print from long. So, what are you waiting for?
