This week at RAPID+TCT 2026: a printer with 12 independent print heads, MIT predicting how your print will turn out before you run it, and the EFF stepping up to defend makers. Let's get into it. 🔥
🔥 Featured
🖨️ MOVA AtomForm Palette 300: 12 Independent Print Heads in a Single Printer
MOVA AtomForm just unveiled the Palette 300 at RAPID+TCT 2026. It features 12 independent print heads powered by their OmniElement™ system, a 350°C hotend, and an actively temperature-controlled enclosure up to 65°C.
The goal is straightforward: kill the purge tower for good. No constant filament swaps, no wasted material, no endless wait times. If the Snapmaker U1 opened the door with 4 print heads at $849, MOVA blows it wide open with three times as many.
Pre-orders open in Q2 2026. Pricing is still TBD, but it's clearly aimed at prosumers and professional studios. Read the full breakdown on the blog →
🔧 Hardware
🏗️ BigRep ONE.5X: Large-Format 3D Printing, Fully Automated
Another standout from RAPID+TCT 2026: BigRep unveiled the ONE.5X, a fully automated evolution of their industrial large-format printer. Built for big parts — machinery components, furniture prototypes, production tooling — with a much simpler setup process than the previous generation.
They also announced an integration with the Massive Dimension MDX pellet extruder, opening the door to printing with recycled granulated material at a fraction of the cost of traditional filament. Read the full coverage on 3DPrint.com →
💻 Software
🔬 MIT Can Now Predict How Your Print Will Look — Before You Print It
Researchers at MIT have developed a rapid preview tool that predicts what your FDM print will look like before it ever touches the bed. The idea is simple: stop wasting filament on failed prints only to find out the surface finish isn't what you wanted.
Paired with the generative AI tools we've already covered in previous issues (Meshy, Chitubox AI3D), the 2026 workflow is taking shape: less trial and error, more intelligent simulation. In the meantime, if you want to calculate exactly what each print will cost you before hitting the button, our filament cost calculator gets it done in 10 seconds. Read more on Fabbaloo →
🤢 WTF Science
🦟 Necroprinting: researchers are 3D printing with… dead mosquitoes
Yes, you read that right. Researchers have developed a technique that uses mosquito remains as a base material for biological 3D printing. It's not as crazy as it sounds: insect chitin is an abundant, biodegradable, and low-cost biomaterial.
Potential applications range from medical scaffolds to sustainable structural components. Hackaday covered it this week in full detail (memes included). Read it on Hackaday →
⚖️ Regulation
🛡️ The EFF draws a line: standing up for makers against regulatory overreach
The Electronic Frontier Foundation — the leading digital rights organization — has published a hard-hitting piece against attempts by several U.S. states to force 3D printers to scan files and reject shapes that resemble weapons.
Their message is clear: criminalizing millions of hobbyists does nothing to prevent the rare cases of misuse, but it does kill innovation. It's like banning paper printers because someone might print a dangerous manual.
The debate hasn't hit Europe as hard yet, but it's worth keeping an eye on. Today it's firearms, tomorrow it could be something else entirely. Read more at Fabbaloo →
💬 Our take this week
RAPID+TCT 2026 confirmed what we already suspected: multi-color printing is the defining battle of 2026. Snapmaker came in with 4 colors, MOVA is pushing 12. The question is no longer whether your printer can mix colors — it's how many at once.
And while the industry races ahead, regulators are busy trying to hold it back. Thankfully, organizations like the EFF are pushing back. Being a maker in 2026 also means defending your right to build whatever you want in your own home ✊.
While all that unfolds, we're keeping our focus where it belongs: Anycubic and Elegoo resins shipped from Spain, no endless waits. And if you want to dial in your printer settings and get the most out of every print, grab the Anycubic Resin Field Guide — 48 pages to help your prints come out right the first time.