What kind of materials are used for 3D printed objects by designers such as Neri Oxman and Iris van Herpen? In this specific design, the fabric for a haute couture dress was printed with different white and black parts. The white parts are from the rigid Vero family material and the black parts are the from rubber-like Tango family. Both these materials are part of the Polyjet Digital Materials collection by Stratasys that includes more than 100 different composite materials that are based on various combinations of 17 photopolymers. Numerous colours and material properties can be incorporated into one printed design.

Digital Materials are made in Object 3D printers when two standard PolyJet polymers are combined in specific concentrations and structures in order to provide the desired mechanical and visual properties. A single printed part made with Digital Materials can contain as many as 14 distinct material properties, all created in one process. Some of the digital materials in this collection include Digital ABS, Transparent, Rigid Opaque, Rubber-like, Bio-compatible and Dental material.

Digital ABS (fabricated inside the 3D printer from RGD515 and RGD535) is designed to simulate standard ABS plastics by combining high-temperature resistance with toughness. Digital ABS2 delivers those properties plus superior rigidity and toughness in walls thinner than 1.22 mm. Both are ideal for functional prototypes, molds, snap-fit parts for high or temperature use and electrical parts, casings, mobile phone casing and engine part covers.

Transparent material (RGD720) is a multipurpose transparent polymer for standard clear plastics simulation. It is suitable for applications including glass, eyewear, lighting covers and light cases.

Rigid Opaque polymers provide excellent detail visualization in grey, black, white and blue. Ideal for silicon moulding, the Vero family of this material group includes cyan, magenta and yellow polymers that can be blended to create hundreds of digital colours. These materials can also blended with transparent photopolymers to create translucent colour.

Tango is a family of rubber-like materials that offers a variety of elastomer characteristics including Shore scale A hardness, elongation at break, tear resistance and tensile strength. This rubber-like material can be used for applications including knobs, grips, hoses and footwear.

And finally, for specialized medical applications, Bio-compatible PolyJet photopolymers are ideal for applications requiring prolonged skin contact of more than 30 days while Digital Dental Materials find applications as dental veneer models and dental appliances.