3D pens have revolutionised 3D Printing. 3D Pens can help materialise creative art and craft ideas in three dimensions.
These days, every artist, kid, hobbyist, design professional and 3d printing enthusiast can doodle something exciting in three dimension with just a pen.
In this article, we will talk about Uses of 3d pens, How to use or handle a 3D pen, a list of best 3d printing pens (including 3d pens for kids and art and cheap 3d pens), 3D pen Filament, 3D pen templates, and 3D Pen Ideas.
Quick jump to:
- Uses of 3d Pens
- How to use a 3d Pen
- Hot 3D pens
- Cold 3D pens
- 17 Best 3D Printing Pens
- 3D Pens for Kids / Cheap 3D pens
- 3D Art Pens / Pens for Hobbyists
- 3D Pen Filament
- 3D Pen Templates and Stencils
- 3D pen templates for kids and hobbyists
- Useful 3D pen prints / 3D pen prints for gifts
- 3D pen printed stuff for office or study
Read article on 3D Printing Ideas with 3D printers.
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Applications / Uses of 3D Pens
A 3D pen can be used as both a serious tool or a toy. Some of the applications of 3d pens include:
a. Education: 3D pens are great STEM learning tools. They are not as elaborate as 3D printers and do not require much knowledge of design softwares. 3D pens can be used in Mathematics to draw geometric shapes, in Science to create models like organs and molecules, and in architecture of modelling.
b. Design and product development: Hobbyists and professionals can use 3D pens to create prototypes of products like accessories and machinery parts. 3D pens are very handy to create initial models of design concepts.
c. Art and craft: 3D pens can be used to make sculptures, fine art and craft. Both professionals and hobbyists widely use this tool to bring their imagination to life.
d. Finishing and repairing 3D prints: If you have create or are creating a product with 3D printing, then 3D pens can help finish or repair your final products. They are very handy in fixing hard-to-reach areas of a 3D printed thing.
How to Use a 3D Pen
There are two types of 3D pens available in the market–hot and cold 3D pens. Both use different mechanisms to extrude liquid filaments that solidify upon extrusion.
Users can create designs on a surface in 2D or lift their 3D pen while extruding to draw up in 3D.
a. Hot 3D Pens
In hot 3D pens, a filament is inserted in the pen. The filament is melted by the pen with heat, just like a glue gun. The filament solidifies due to the air around it as it is extruded from the pen.
Here are some hot 3D pens:
- 3Doodler
- 3Dsimo Basic
- Scribbler Duo
b. Cold 3D Pens
Cold 3D pens work in the opposite manner than hot 3D pens. They use ink, which is a photosensitive resin, that solidifies due to exposure to UV light when extruded from the pen.
Here are some examples of cold 3D pens:
- IDO3D Vertical
- CreoPop3
Related Article: 150 Cool 3D Printing Ideas – Useful Things to 3D Print
17 Best 3D Printing Pens
a. 3D Pens for Kids / Cheap 3D Pens
1. 3Doodle Start
Age: 6+ years
There are four 3Doodle Start kits available for students and educators. They come with a child-safe pens or stylo, 3Doodler app, BPA-free plastic strands or filament, activities, and stencils.
Here’re three types of 3Doodler Start kits:
a. 3Doodler Start Essentials
Promote creativity, design, planning, building and spatial understanding.
b. 3Doodler Start – Figurines
To make pose-able figurines and learn about ball-joint interactions & movements
c. 3Doodler Start – Architecture
Create miniature cities and iconic structures and illuminate them with light.
d. 3Doodler Start – Robotics
Create two, four or six-legged robots.
c. 3Doodler EDU Start Learning Pack
Six Pens; two student kits, one plastic strand kit, and one teacher kit with lesson plans, teacher’s checklist, and more.
2. Scribbler Nano 3D drawing pen
Age: All ages
Scribbler Nano comes with a 3D drawing pen, filament, and power supply. Its LED screen informs you about the temperature of the tip. The temperature can be adjusted as required. It works with ABS and Plastic filaments.
3. Scribbler V3
Age: All ages
Scribbler V3 pen comes with PLA filament in different colors and easy-to-follow instructions. It is affordable. It can work with different types of filament. It’s available in Purple Metallic, Silver Metallic, Blue Metallic, Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, White colors.
4. Tecboss 3d pen dinosaur
Age: 5+ years
This cute 3d pen for kids comes in four cute colors, and has an LED guide that tells you when the pend is ready to use. It inspires creativity, design, planning, building and spatial understanding. It has two speed levels and two filament modes. If it stays idle for 15 modes, this 3d printing pen will automatically go into sleep mode.
5. MYNT3D 3D PEN Junior – Safe low temperature 3D pen
This 3d pen for kids has an ergonomic design that is easy to use for kids. The temperature is controlled, so that kids are safe while using it. It works with PCL filament. It comes with a USB Cable for charging, stencils, and rolls of filament. It’s a cheap 3D pen for kids.
Other Cheap 3D Pens:
6. SCRIB3D P1 3D Printing Pen with Display (Bonus Set)
Age: 6+ years
This 3d pen uses PLA or ABS filament and can be used for doodling. It has a 2-minute auto sleep function. The LCD screen on it displays temperature. It features a ceramic nozzle for safe use.
7. MYNT3D Super 3D Pen
Age: All ages
This 3D pen has a ultrasonic sealed nozzle that doesn’t clog easily. It can be used by artists and engineers. It can be used with both ABS and PLA filaments.
Related Article: Coding for Kids: 24 Free Websites that Teach Programming
b. 3D Art Pens
8. 3Doodler Create+
Age: 14+ years
Here’s a 3D printing pen with improved power and durability. This can be used by printing enthusiasts, artists and designs. These come with activity books and filaments in various colors.
Here’re different types of 3Doodler Create+ kits:
a. 3Doodler Create+
A durable 3D printing pen with 15 filament colors.
b. 3Doodler Create Plus – Master Creator
Filaments in 70 colors let you create accessories, figurines, sculptures and more.
9. Lix Pen UV
Age: 12+ years
You can write and draw in the air with Lix Pen UV 3D pen. The pen has quick melt and cool technology. You can use colored filament to create rigid and freestanding structures. You can use ABS and PLA filament with the Lix Pen UV 3D pen.
10. Scribbler 3D Pen Duo
Age: All ages
Scribbler Duo comes with a 3D design pen, power supply, plastic filament, and a stencil book. It is perfect for drawing, model printing, creating art, and craft projects.
It has 6 extrusion speed levels (1 for slow and 6 for fast). You can also set the filament heating temperature from 100 to 240 degrees Celsius, allowing you to use different types of filament.
With this pen, you can use ABS, PLA, wooden, flexible, bronze, copper, and plastic filament.
11. MYNT3D Professional 3D Printing Pen
Use Mynt3D pen for drafting, prototyping, spatial learning, and 3D sculpting. It has speed and temperature control that makes 3D printing safe and efficient. Its OLED display indicates temperature and battery level. It can be used with both ABS and PLA filaments. It comes with a power adapter.
12. Tecboss 3D pen SL 300
Age: 5+ years (also for adults)
Use it with ABS or PLA filament. It comes with a drawing board, stencils, a power adapter and a pen holder. OLED display shows the type of filament in use and the pens temperature. Comes with two finger protectors to cover index finger and thumb while using the 3D pen.
13. CoLiDo 3D Pen
CoLiDo 3D Pen has a self-retracting nozzle. It aluminum structure is sleek. It uses PLA and ABS filaments. It weighs about 70 grams and is easy to manoeuvre. Comes with a power cord and packs of PLA and ABS filaments.
Other 3d pens for hobbyists:
14. CreoPop 3D Pen
This 3D pen is designed in a way that there are no hot parts. It uses photopolymers and has an LED screen that shows when the pen is ready to use. The inks used in this pen include elastic, magnetic, glow-in-the-dark,
aromatic and body paint inks. You’ll even find ink that conduct electricity to make school science projects, and ink that changes color with temperature.
15. SkyWriter 3D Pen
This is a light 3D pen, which is easy to use for projects that might take longer to create. It comes with a stand-up holder. It features a no-clog nozzle. It prints with both ABS and PLA filament types.
16. Dikale 07A
This pen is thin, light and comfortable to use. It is cheap, as well. It uses a mini USB-to-USB cord for charging. It can be used with both PLA and ABS filament. The pen reaches use-temperature in about 30 seconds.
17. 3Dsimo MultiPro
This versatile 3d pen comes with various attachments including 3D drawing, soldering, burning, and resistance wire cutter. It can be used to cut plastic, foam and plexiglass, make prototypes, customize leather or wood, saw plywood and balso, drill to engrave and grind, and screw and unscrew.
3D Pen Filaments
a. ABS Filament
b. PLA Filament
c. PCL Filament
d. Nylon Filament
