Endless PLA Contents

We’ve got an eye for and interest in color here at Protoplant, so, as you might expect, our team was excited for the announcement of Pantone’s 2023 color of the year, Viva Magenta.

What a color! Vibrant. Enthusiastic. Optimistic. And a little hard to pin down. A color after my own heart, but in all of Pantone’s marketing, the color is presented in tints, tones, and shades. What's up with that?

Admittedly, I’m not a fan of “color matching”. It’s near impossible to “match” color especially across mediums, finishes, environment, and lighting. The same color can look different on different screens, or simply in different images. Google “Viva Magenta” to see all the images for yourself.

Maybe Pantone's marketing was on to something? Why not embrace variation? The below monochromatic and analogous color pallets are much more inspiring than the single color swatches above, right?

There we have it! The inspiration for February colors. And how appropriate for Valentine’s Day!

But how do we transform the above color palettes into filament form? With a new technique! Below is a peek at the result, but how did we get there? Keep reading to find out!!

I didn’t want to settle with our existing technique for adding pellets at random, but so far specificity has been elusive and tedious. Building a filament one cup at a time by hand to create a sequence can create a pleasing result, but it isn’t practical for production. Sean's Cotton Candy case in point.

Still, I once again found myself creating color changes by hand for February. The transitions were so inspiring, but I had no complimentary manufacturing technique. With only weeks until needing to produce subs, we had to decide whether to rethink the colors or create a new production technique…

Encouraged by the result, we were motivated to make a new technique! Dustin fabricated a mechanism to dose pellets at regular intervals all day long!!! Designed, 3D printed, assembled, coded, validated, and proven in production all in a matter of weeks. How cool is that?

With the device, we now have an automated way to add waves of color! That was music to my ears!!! Introducing Scarlet Symphony (SCS), Amethyst Aria (AMA), and Mango Medley (MAM) from L to R. Enjoy these three magenta-inspired filaments composed specially for you, with love, this Valentine’s Day.

Imagine all the beautiful things you can print! Below are some example designs from Clockspring3D, Cinderwing3D, and Gyrobot in SCS, MAM, and AMA, respectively. We support Clockspring and Cinderwing on Patreon to enjoy designs like these. We found Gyrobot’s twisted heart vase on Thingiverse.

How'd you like a model inspired by and designed for Protopasta? In case you haven’t heard, we’re collaborating with Corey Marchetti of CM Designs in 2023. He’s preparing Protopasta-supported models all year long to celebrate our past as we look towards the future!

Did you know Protopasta was funded on Kickstarter in November of 2013? With our 10 year anniversary coming up, what better excuse to commission designs from one of our favorite designers? We hope you find it’s the perfect complement to your pasta!

Encouraged by Corey’s past work (sample above), we kicked off this collaboration with a group brainstorm. Together we identified a wealth of ideas and interests. With those ideas in mind, we looked to the past for inspiration to identify an inspired artifact. Our first artifact is a pot.

Wondering what a pot has to do with filament? Protopasta is a from-scratch venture. Protopasta is a product and Protoplant is a company where we use what we’ve got to make new things. We’ve used pots in the past for their availability, usefulness, and versatility.

You can wind filament around a pot or to extend a hopper (like above) to add pellets to an extruder less frequently. Sure, we have more advanced solutions for winding and hoppers now, also scratch-built, just evolved. But you have to start somewhere.

Corey puts his own spin on this everyday object for us all to enjoy. He adds inspiration from and connection to the 3D Printing process with embellished extrusions for obvious layers. He connects those layers to a 3D printed 3D printing nozzle. Embracing a pot's versatility, he extends it's use with inserts for an organizer and planter as seen below.

Aren't these pots beautiful? Create your own of any size, with or without inserts, and for whatever purpose best serves you! Access the files here to download and enjoy the versatility of this pot! What everyday objects have you repurposed for new uses? 

Enabling quick physical concepts is something I really enjoy about Protoplant, Protopasta, and 3D Printing! Thank you for supporting our creative process and enjoy the pasta!!!

All our best,

Alex and the Protopasta Team

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