The Snapmaker U1 3D printer has achieved unprecedented Kickstarter success by raising over $11.5 million, till 24th August, dramatically surpassing all previous 3D printing crowdfunding records. The campaign, which went live on 19th August 2025, initially broke Bambu Lab’s previous record of $7,047,538 achieved during their X1 and X1-Carbon launch in September 2022 within just 24 hours, raising $7.8 million on its first day alone. The extraordinary response demonstrates the market’s appetite for advanced multi-material printing solutions that address longstanding waste and efficiency concerns in 3D printing.
As of the 48-hour milestone update, the Snapmaker U1 campaign became the most-funded 3D printing project in Kickstarter’s Technology → 3D Printing category, with over $9.22 million pledged from more than 10,000 backers. This remarkable achievement has already surpassed AnkerMake’s previous all-time record of $8.8 million raised with their M5 printer in 2022, with over five weeks remaining in the campaign. The campaign continues until 30th September 2025, with early bird pricing of $749 and special deposit arrangements offering effective pricing as low as $679 for early supporters.
SnapSwap Technology Reduces Filament Waste
The Snapmaker U1’s standout feature lies in its revolutionary SnapSwap™ tool-changing system, which fundamentally reimagines how multi-colour 3D printing operates. Unlike traditional AMS-style colour printers where all spools share one filament path and nozzle, the U1 employs four independent print heads that physically swap in just 5 seconds, reducing filament usage to just 20% of conventional amounts. This breakthrough addresses one of the industry’s most pressing concerns—the enormous waste generated during colour changes in traditional multi-material printing.
Traditional multi-colour printing typically wastes 3 or 4 times more material than what ends up in the actual model, as systems require extensive purging to clear previous colours from shared nozzles. The U1’s tool-changing architecture eliminates this wasteful purging process by dedicating each colour to its own print head, creating what Snapmaker terms “Zero Purge” efficiency. The system only generates a small prime tower for pressure stabilisation and nozzle wiping after tool swaps, dramatically reducing both material waste and print times.
The engineering behind this system represents a significant departure from conventional approaches. Each of the four independent extruders operates with complete isolation from the others, preventing cross-contamination between materials while enabling complex builds involving different material types with varying temperature requirements. This capability opens new possibilities for functional prototyping and end-use manufacturing applications that were previously impractical with single-nozzle systems.
High-Performance CoreXY Design
Beyond waste reduction, the Snapmaker U1 addresses speed limitations that have traditionally plagued multi-material printing. Built on a CoreXY structure, each toolhead achieves impressive specifications including 300 mm/s print speed, 500 mm/s travel speed, and 20,000 mm/s² acceleration. These performance metrics, combined with the rapid tool-swapping capability, enable significantly faster completion of multi-colour projects compared to conventional systems that spend substantial time on material changes.
The printer incorporates advanced compensation algorithms to maintain print quality at high speeds. Automatic toolhead alignment maintains offset tolerances under 0.04mm to ensure sharp prints without vertical shifts between colours. Input Shaping technology reduces vibrations from rapid directional changes, maintaining clean surface finishes, while Pressure Advance compensation addresses flow delays to prevent under- and over-extrusion issues common in high-speed printing.
The system includes automatic mesh bed levelling for consistent first layer adhesion and comprehensive calibration features designed to deliver “smooth, dimensionally accurate prints on par with single-head printers”. These engineering refinements address the calibration challenges typically associated with multi-head systems, making professional-grade multi-material printing more accessible to general users.
Smart Features
The Snapmaker U1 incorporates intelligent automation features designed to streamline the entire printing workflow. An integrated automatic material system accommodates up to four spools with RFID recognition for Snapmaker official filaments, automatically identifying material specifications without manual input. The system includes backup mode functionality that automatically switches to matching spools when materials run out, preventing failed prints from incomplete filament supplies.
Camera monitoring capabilities provide real-time oversight with automatic failure detection, alerting users through the Snapmaker App when prints deviate from expected parameters. This monitoring system captures time-lapse footage while simultaneously watching for potential issues that could waste time and materials. The integration with Snapmaker Orca slicer software, built on the Orca Slicer engine, provides engineer-tested profiles optimised for official materials and machine configurations.
The U1 represents Snapmaker’s return to their Kickstarter roots, with CEO Daniel Chen stating: “Kickstarter is where Snapmaker started, and our backers have always been a vital part of our journey. With U1, we’re going back to our roots — combining what we’ve learned with what our community dreams of”. This community-focused approach builds upon the success of their previous campaigns, including the original Snapmaker that raised $2.28 million in 2017 and the Snapmaker 2.0 that achieved $7.85 million in 2019.
The pricing strategy reflects Snapmaker’s commitment to democratising advanced 3D printing technology. While professional tool-changers like the Prusa Research XL target the professional market with a $3,499 price tag, Snapmaker appeals to average consumers with early bird pricing of $649 and regular Kickstarter pricing of $749, with an MSRP of $999 for the four-colour machine. Special deposit arrangements allow early supporters to secure the printer for an effective price of $679 through a $30 refundable deposit system that provides $100 total cashback after shipping.
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