
Shapeways, a leading global digital manufacturing platform driven by proprietary software, is teaming with Mimaki to offer full-colour 3D printing solutions to its global customers taking it to the next level. Pairing Mimaki’s expertise of full colour printing with the 3D printing quality and consistency of Shapeways gives customers more flexibility
Harnessing the true power of full-colour 3D printing, Shapeways’ High Definition Full Colour material from Mimaki is one of the most complete offering as it allows for extensive shading and colour saturation with ten million colours, nearly unlimited choices, and versatile post-processing options all driven seamlessly by Shapeways end-to-end digital manufacturing platform and purpose-built software. Utilized for full production products and parts this material is a focal point for Shapeways’ customers looking to move beyond prototypes.
On April 28, 2021, Shapeways entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger and Reorganization with Galileo Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: GLEO), a special purpose acquisition company, pursuant to which Shapeways will be acquired by Galileo. Upon the closing of the acquisition, the combined company will be named Shapeways Holdings, Inc. and is expected to remain listed on the NYSE. The business combination values Shapeways at a $410 million pro forma enterprise value. The transaction is expected to provide more than $195 million of net proceeds to Shapeways, including a $75 million fully committed common stock PIPE, which implies an equity value of $605 million assuming minimal redemptions by Galileo shareholders.
Full-Colour 3D Printing Solutions

The realm of full-colour 3D printing with High Definition Full Colour offers exceptional details in colour and modelling, excellence in accuracy and resolution, and unprecedented photorealism for critical applications like medicine—especially for surgical prep models. Full-colour 3D printing allows for pre-visualization for surgery preparation, extensive real estate development models, and customizable collectibles
“Adding full-colour printing from Mimaki brings vast depth and detail to applications across multiple industries. At Shapeways, we leverage world-class printing technologies and apply our vast expertise and rigorous quality procedures to help change the landscape of additive manufacturing.”
– Aidan O’Sullivan, Vice President Operations at Shapeways
Real estate developers can also explore the entire infrastructure of a city block manufactured with 3D printing to demonstrate how buildings would be constructed and arranged, along with accompanying landscaping and infrastructure. Lastly, tabletop gamers discovered the nearly unlimited options available through companies like Hero Forge several years ago and continue to create customizable collectibles that could not be made without 3D printing.
Quality and Consistency
Shapeways gives customer instant quote access to High Definition Full Colour material through the purpose-built software. Adding the Mimaki material is a logical step in moving the industry forward and giving customers exactly what they want. The ability to 3D print in colour, thanks to their experience in reproducing and managing colour, and expertise from Shapeways in 3D printing, streamlined workflow, and production makes for a strong team.
“Shapeways is known for their quality and consistency. Our expertise in 2D colour printing allowed us to approach the 3D printing world differently by starting with colour. Offering High Definition Full Colour to the customer base of Shapeways made sense because it can be used in so many ways.”
– Josh Hope, Senior Manager for Digital Imaging and Innovation at Mimaki
Coloured resin is jetted directly onto the print bed of the Mimaki printer, relying on specific colour profiles generated by characterization data. Stunning shading, contrast, and fine detail are all possible, including more expanded choices in terms of colour gradients and texture too. Customers engage in creating more complex designs that take advantage of the ability to design with greater flexibility.
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