# Multi-material printing **URL:** \ **Category:** Feature Requests & Ideas\ **Created:** [June 29, 2015, 4:30pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/multi-material-printing/4828 "2015-06-29T16:30:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Simone\_Marasso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/0ea827/32.png) [@Simone\_Marasso](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Simone_Marasso)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2015, 4:30pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/multi-material-printing/4828/1 "2015-06-29T16:30:53Z")
Did anyone experience a multi material printing? I mean, I want to try to change the resin at a specific layer to obtain features with different material on the same printed project. For example I want a soft button on a solid case. ---
**Author:** ![Matthew\_Bohrer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@Matthew\_Bohrer](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Matthew_Bohrer)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2015, 4:41pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/multi-material-printing/4828/2 "2015-06-29T16:41:57Z")
I’ve never heard of someone doing that, but _man_ that’d be complicated. You’d have to pause it at precisely the right height (which could be planned for), but how would you account for the different support structures needed, etc.? Also, you’d _totally_ contaminate your second tank with the first resin, since it’d still be coating your printed part (or are you imagining cleaning it _in situ_ on the tray before swapping in the 2nd tank?). Then there’s the problem of your PreForm settings: how would you adjust the settings? The system won’t let you start “mid-print”, so how would you switch from your hard resin to the flexible? The settings are very different, internally. ---
**Author:** ![Thomas\_Judy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c2a13f/32.png) [@Thomas\_Judy](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Thomas_Judy)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2015, 6:49pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/multi-material-printing/4828/3 "2015-06-29T18:49:36Z")
This is not possible with this style of machine you would want a polyjet type printer they can do multi materials that are more feature bases things like the Stratasys Eden or Connex systems can do this for you. I would not recommend switching trays mid print that would not end well. ---
**Author:** ![Simone\_Marasso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/0ea827/32.png) [@Simone\_Marasso](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Simone_Marasso)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 12:46pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/multi-material-printing/4828/4 "2015-06-30T12:46:43Z")
I know that technology, but I remark the fact that in principle it is possible also with F1+. If you can change the Resin Tank at a certain layers, by pausing and rising up the Build Platform, you have the opportunity to rinse your Build Platform with the half done artwork and then substitute the tank. After that, you can go back to the previous position. I doesn’t seem so tricky even manually, if we have the right software features. > [@Thomas\_Judy](#): > > polyjet type printer ---
**Author:** ![Fred\_Baumgartner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d78d45/32.png) [@Fred\_Baumgartner](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Fred_Baumgartner)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 6:44pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/multi-material-printing/4828/5 "2015-06-30T18:44:33Z")
You can try printing the button separately. Just use uncured resin and a laser to “glue” the two parts together. Raising the platform and changing the tank will have issues. It’s too problematic to get the tanks to have exactly the same Z level. ---
**Author:** ![Stephen](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.formlabs.com/stephen/32/1635_2.png) [@Stephen](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Stephen)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2015, 8:36am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/multi-material-printing/4828/6 "2015-07-01T08:36:40Z")
Yea - @Fred_Baumgartner’s suggestion is the closest and easiest suggestion. Liquid resin works well as a bonding solution after the prints are complete. @Simone_Marasso, Plus Fab actually did something very similar to what you described, creating a flexible grip on a rigid tool handle. They even made the files downloadable: [http://www.plusfabrication.com/personal-printing/](http://www.plusfabrication.com/personal-printing/) ---
**Author:** ![JasonSpiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f14d63/32.png) [@JasonSpiller](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/JasonSpiller)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2015, 9:11am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/multi-material-printing/4828/7 "2015-07-01T09:11:22Z")
I brush on resin and use a laser pen to weld joints - much better than glue. If there is a very large surface area between the joins then I also use a 2 part epoxy to ensure a solid joint. ---
**Author:** ![Simone\_Marasso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/0ea827/32.png) [@Simone\_Marasso](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Simone_Marasso)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2015, 10:37am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/multi-material-printing/4828/8 "2015-07-01T10:37:55Z")
Continuing the discussion from [Multi-material printing](http://forum.formlabs.com/t/multi-material-printing/4828/7): Thanks to all, > [@Stephen](#): > > flexible grip fits very well to my idea. I’ll try the gluing way 😀 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/formlabs/original/3X/5/b/5bc2bdf993ff27c2e0eecab5010b25626fbb327a.png) [@system](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 10:38am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/multi-material-printing/4828/9 "2015-07-15T10:38:38Z")
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