Print processes
Most architectural work is FDM. Resin is for the small pieces FDM cannot resolve, and multi-material is for models that need to read in more than one colour without being painted.
FDM standard
The workhorse. Massing, site models, terrain, volume studies, and anything where the overall form matters more than the surface. Fast, economical, and the right default for early studio work and internal reviews.
Typical layer height 0.2 mm. Maximum single-piece size 350 × 320 × 325 mm.
FDM detail
The same process at a finer layer height. Sharper edges, legible mullions and facade articulation, cleaner curved surfaces. Slower, so it costs more, but it is what makes a model hold up when someone picks it up and looks closely.
Typical layer height 0.08–0.12 mm. Same maximum size as FDM standard.
Resin
For components rather than whole buildings — furniture, figures, trees, railings, tracery, joinery details, or any part with features too fine for a nozzle. Resin parts are usually combined with an FDM body rather than printed alone.
Material and colour availability are confirmed in your quote. The smaller build area may require larger models to be split.
Multi-material
Up to nine materials in a single build. Use it when colour is carrying information — context in grey against a proposal in white, circulation picked out, phasing shown, or a glazing line that needs to read as glazing. Cleaner and more durable than painting an FDM model after the fact.
Material changes can add tool changes, purge material and print time. The amount depends on the printer, materials and layout, and is included in your quote.
Quality levels
Quality level is separate from print process and cleanup. It sets the print detail and inspection standard. Choosing Presentation or Premium does not change whether support and brim removal are included.
| Level | What it is for | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Draft and massing work, quick studies, iteration during a project | Speed-optimised settings. Layer lines visible, minor artefacts accepted. |
| Presentation | Course reviews, critiques, internal presentations | Balanced settings and surfaces checked before release. |
| Premium | Client meetings, competitions, anything leaving the building | Slowest settings, orientation chosen for finish, full inspection, careful packing. |
If you are unsure, Presentation is the right default for anything being shown to other people.
Colours and materials
Standard materials are rigid options for architectural models and everyday parts. White is the default; other colours can be requested. We confirm the material and colour combination in your quote.
| Option | Notes |
|---|---|
| White | The default for architectural models. Reads cleanly under any lighting and photographs well. |
| Black | Good for bases, context, and hiding structure. Shows dust and fingerprints more. |
| Grey | Useful for context massing set next to a white proposal. |
| Clear / translucent | For glazing, water and light studies. Ask about availability for your chosen process. |
| Multiple colours | Multi-material builds. Describe which element gets which colour in the project notes. |
| Glow | Blue or green glow. Specify the glow colour in your project notes. |
| Other | Specific colours can usually be sourced. Ask before you submit if the deadline is tight. |
Recycled materials
Choose Recycled Green — plastic bottles or Recycled Brown — coffee-cup lids for FDM printing. Green is made from recycled plastic bottles; Brown is made from recycled coffee-cup lids. Each option has its own colour, which the portal sets automatically.
Flexible and engineering materials
Flexible materials are for parts that need to bend or compress. Engineering materials are for functional parts with specific performance requirements. Tell us about the expected loads, temperature and use so we can review suitability.
For most models, leave Properties and material on Standard. For Flexible, Engineering or Glow, choose Specialty and describe the requirement in your notes. Availability and suitability are confirmed in your quote.
Supports
Overhangs may need temporary supports while they print. Removing supports can leave marks. Your support preference controls their placement; cleanup is a separate part of the quoted scope.
Student FDM orders: parts are supplied with supports and any brim still attached for you to remove, keeping cleanup labour out of the price. This applies at every quality level. If you need us to remove them, request cleanup in your notes for the quote.
Other FDM orders: support and brim removal are included in the quoted scope. Additional finishing or assembly is agreed in the quote. Resin parts are always washed and cured before handoff, including student orders.
- Supports allowed
- Fastest and cheapest. Marks may be visible where supports touched the model.
- Avoid supports if possible
- We orient the model to minimise overhangs first, and support only what genuinely needs it.
- No supports on visible surfaces
- Supports go only where they will not be seen. Costs more, and sometimes means splitting the model.
- Split the model if it improves the finish
- We cut the geometry into pieces that each print cleanly, then join them. Best possible finish, most labour.
Splitting is often the right answer for anything with a deep overhang or an enclosed void. It also lets a large model print in parallel across machines, which can shorten lead time rather than extend it.
If you are not sure what to choose
Describe the model and what it is for in the project notes and we will recommend the setup when we quote. Useful things to tell us: the scale, whether it will be handled, whether it is being photographed, and whether anything needs to read as a distinct colour or material.
Some common starting points:
- Site or massing model for a review — FDM standard, Presentation, white.
- Detailed building with visible facade articulation — FDM detail, Presentation or Premium, white.
- Competition or client model — FDM detail or multi-material, Premium, no supports on visible surfaces.
- Small components to add to an existing model — resin, Presentation.
- Functional prototype — FDM standard or detail, with a performance material if it has to take load or heat.