Gallery

About Project

At first glance, this sculpture might fool you into thinking a real cat has dozed off on the table. The curled-up feline in the image is, in fact, a hyper-realistic 3D printed tabby cat, crafted using Mimaki full-color inkjet 3D printing technology.

This lifelike model captures a cat in its most peaceful state-tightly curled, paws tucked under its chin, tail wrapped close, and eyes gently resting. The fur details are meticulously rendered in various shades of brown, orange, black, and cream, mimicking the layered textures and color variations of a real tabby coat. The surface appearance has a soft, almost velvety matte finish, enhancing the illusion of softness.

To optimize both cost and material usage, the sculpture was hollowed out from the inside, which also makes it lighter and easier to display or ship. The underside reveals a carefully preserved internal surface, showcasing the foam-like texture that results from the hollowing process.

High-Resolution Full-Color 3D Printing with FacFox

This sculpture was printed using Mimaki's cutting-edge 3DUJ series, capable of producing over 10 million colors with photorealistic detail. At FacFox, we offer Mimaki 3D printing services for artists, designers, and studios looking to bring digital models to life in vivid, full color.

Whether you're making realistic figures, architectural models, or collectible art pieces, our Mimaki 3D printing can deliver unmatched visual fidelity and color saturation. Perfect for museums, movie props, and character collectibles.

馃憠 Get in touch with FacFox to start your Mimaki 3D printing project today!

Solution

• Step 1: A high-resolution 3D model of a curled-up tabby cat was created using digital sculpting software. Photorealistic textures and fur patterns were applied to the model to simulate lifelike coloration.
• Step 2: The 3D model was optimized for printing by hollowing out the internal volume. This was done to reduce printing material and overall weight while maintaining structural stability.
• Step 3: The finalized model was exported in a format compatible with Mimaki’s 3DUJ-553 full-color inkjet 3D printer, which supports over 10 million colors and transparent resin layers.
• Step 4: The model was printed layer by layer using UV-curable photopolymer resin. Simultaneously, color droplets were precisely jetted onto each layer to reproduce the full-color texture with high fidelity.
• Step 5: After printing, the sculpture was carefully removed from the build platform. Excess support material was washed away using a dedicated cleaning solution.
• Step 6: The model was fully cured under UV light to strengthen the resin structure and set the colors permanently.
• Step 7: The final piece was inspected, and minor surface finishing was applied as needed to ensure color consistency and detail clarity. The result was a hollow, hyper-realistic tabby cat sculpture ready for display.