HueForge · CMYK & full-color
CMYK 3D printing, priced honestly
Full-color FDM is subtractive like CMYK in principle— translucent pigment layers on a light base, where more pigment reads darker. But the mechanism isn't inkjet: there are no halftone dots or ICC profiles. Color is blended verticallyby layer thickness, governed by each filament's Transmission Distance (TD). “CMYK” on FDM is partly a metaphor — and partly a real, buyable product category: vendors sell CMYK/CMYKW filament sets. Here they are, with live prices. How CMYK, HueForge & inkjet differ →
CMYK filament sets compared
The real commercial sets, hand-verified. Front-lit reliefs use a black key; backlit lithophanes use a translucent white key(no black) — the single most-missed distinction. Where we track every member spool, we price “build it yourself” against the bundle.
Bambu Lab
PLA CMYK Lithophane Bundle
- CyanTD n/p$19.99
- MagentaTD n/p$19.99
- YellowTD n/p$12.99
- Jade White (key)TD 3.94$19.99
bundle
$70.99
build it yourself
$72.96
$1.97 more than the bundle
Tuned for BACKLIT lithophanes: translucent Jade White is the key — there is no black. Every member is tracked here, so you can compare the bundle price against building it from cheapest refills.
View at Bambu Lab →Polymaker
Full Spectrum Bundle (Panchroma Translucent)
- Translucent CyanTD n/p$19.99
- Translucent MagentaTD n/p$19.99
- Translucent YellowTD n/p$19.99
- Translucent key (grey/white)TD n/p·
bundle
$102.20
3/4 members tracked — buy as a set
Real TRANSLUCENT C/M/Y process primaries (Panchroma Translucent PLA) plus a translucent key — Polymaker likens it to an inkjet. Print at 0.08–0.12 mm so light mixes through each layer. The key spool isn't individually tracked, so the build total covers the three primaries.
View at Polymaker →Polymaker
CMYK Bundle
- CyanTD n/p·
- MagentaTD n/p·
- YellowTD n/p·
- Black (key)TD n/p·
bundle
$102.20
0/4 members tracked — buy as a set
Standard CMYK process set with a black key — aimed at front-lit reliefs. Individual member spools aren't separately tracked, so we show the listed bundle price.
View at Polymaker →Numakers
Magazine Print — CMYK (PLA+)
- Pitch Black (key)TD 0.5·
- Pure WhiteTD 2.9·
- MagentaTD 2·
- Light BlueTD 1.6·
- Bahama YellowTD 3.8·
bundle
$69.95list
0/5 members tracked — buy as a set
A 5-spool front-lit set with TD values published by the maker and pre-loaded into HueForge. Not individually tracked on FilaScope yet, so prices are the maker's list.
View at Numakers →“TD n/p” = transmission distance not published by the maker. We only show a TD when a real source exists — see the TD database methodology.
What colours can a set actually make?
Full-colour FDM can't hit every colour — the reachable set is sparse. Each dot below is one printable layer recipe; the gaps are colours the set can't make. Drop a target colour to see the closest it can print.
Printable colours · a*–b* plane
Each dot is one printable layer recipe. The gaps are real — this set can't make colours between them.
Can this set hit your colour?
Drop a colour to see the closest thing this set can actually print — and how far off it is.
Simulation from published TD values (base-10 Beer-Lambert). A discrete set of real recipes — never a continuous gamut.
Build an approximate set from tracked spools
4/4slots matched · each spool's own price shown below (not summed — picks can differ in currency)
How to print CMYK / full-color
- 1 · Pick a set by job. Front-lit relief or sign? Use a black-key CMYK set. Backlit lithophane? Use a translucent white-key set — black would just block the light.
- 2 · Match by tonal value, not hue. HueForge blends by TD, so a set that spans light→dark (with a real black and a translucent white) matters more than exact color names.
- 3 · Slice thin. 0.08–0.12 mm layers (0.16 mm first layer), 100% infill so light transmits evenly, and never scale the Z axis — it changes layer height and wrecks the blend.
- 4 · Swap filaments. Single nozzle: pause-at-height /
M600. AMS/MMU: automated but purges filament (waste). Tool-changers swap with near-zero purge. - 5 · Calibrate TD.Print a TD step-test swatch and a light box, then tune each filament's TD in HueForge until the print matches the preview. See the complete TD guide.
Keep going
TD layer simulator
See how Transmission Distance builds colour layer by layer — drag it and watch.
Find your set
Three questions → the right set type and the matching priced packs.
TD database
Every tracked filament with a TD value, source, and live price.
Cheapest HueForge starter set
The lowest-priced pick for each slot of HueForge's TD-graded base palette.
Best CMYK filament sets
Which set to buy, the black-key vs white-key call, and buy-vs-build.
Backlit lithophane filament
Why backlit work uses a translucent white key — and the best picks.
Best filaments for HueForge
Role-by-role filament picks for color-layer printing.
Match a single color
Just need one filament closest to a hex? Use the color matcher.