3D Printing News 2026: New Printers, Software Updates, and Regulations — February + March Roundup
The definitive 3D printing news 2026 roundup — updated for March. Covers new multicolor CoreXY printers, industrial metal AM moves, slicer advances, emerging regulations, and what's changed since our February edition. Use the 3D print cost calculator to see how new hardware and materials affect your pricing.
What's new since February
🖨️ Bambu Lab A1 Mini Combo price cut + new colours
Bambu dropped the A1 Mini Combo to around £349 in the UK — a significant cut that makes four-colour AMS printing more accessible than ever. New filament colours also launched across the PLA Basic range, expanding options for sellers targeting custom colour work.
Impact on costs: at £0.022–£0.025/g, Bambu PLA Basic remains mid-range. Check your print cost.
⚙️ OrcaSlicer 2.3 released
OrcaSlicer 2.3 shipped in early March with improved multi-material purge tower optimisation (reducing waste filament by up to 30% on some prints), better support for high-speed profiles above 300mm/s, and a reworked calibration flow that guides new users through first-layer and flow rate tuning in a single session.
🏭 Stratasys + Desktop Metal merger finalised
The long-delayed Stratasys and Desktop Metal combination completed in Q1 2026, creating one of the largest industrial AM companies by installed base. The combined entity controls FFF, photopolymer, binder jetting, and metal extrusion platforms. Expect rationalisation of product lines through 2026 as they consolidate reseller channels.
⚖️ Washington State 3D printer firearms bill — March status
The Washington State SB 5078 proposal to mandate firmware-level firearm blocking in consumer 3D printers advanced through committee in late February. As of March 2026 it remains in the Senate Rules committee. Industry groups (including the EFF) are challenging the technical feasibility of on-device detection. No other US state has filed equivalent legislation yet.
📦 UK filament prices — March 2026
Average UK PLA prices are holding steady after a small rise in January. PLA sits at £15–£22/kg for mainstream brands, PETG at £16–£26/kg, and ABS at £17–£25/kg. Sunlu and Esun bulk 5kg rolls remain the best value for volume printers. See our PLA brand rankings for the full picture.
If you blinked, 2026 already moved the "normal" 3D printer baseline to enclosed CoreXY 3D printer designs, multicolor, sensor-heavy hardware and increasingly "app-connected" workflows. Meanwhile, industrial additive manufacturing news is mostly about boring (read: profitable) production, and lawmakers continue discovering that printers also print things they dislike.
1) New 3D printers in 2026: multicolor racing to the bottom
Consumer new 3D printers 2026 headlines are dominated by multicolor machines and enclosed CoreXY frames that would have been "premium" a couple of years ago.
Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo
Elegoo's Centauri Carbon 2 Combo brings a four-color multicolor 3D printer to an aggressive price point (around $449, ~£399 in the UK). Enclosed CoreXY, 350°C high-temp nozzle, beginner-friendly multicolor.
Why it matters: Budget multicolor stops being a niche flex and becomes the default for cosplay, terrain, Etsy inventory, or just dopamine.
Creality SPARKX i7 (CES 2026)
At CES 2026, Creality showed the SPARKX i7 — an AI-assisted multicolor CoreXY inside the Creality Cloud ecosystem. Closed-loop control, presets, wizards. The pitch: lower the "why is it doing that" learning curve.
Why it matters: Consumer market shifting from "tinker-first" to "appliance-first". Printers still fail — just with nicer UX.
AtomForm Palette 300 (CES 2026): 36 colours, 12-nozzle tool swapping
AtomForm unveiled the Palette 300 — a CoreXY with 36-colour capability via 12-nozzle auto-swapping. Xiaomi-backed. Around $2,199 list, Kickstarter discounts, targeted for 2026.
Why it matters: Tool swapping is going mainstream. Engineering pressure at the high end trickles into cheaper machines fast.
Adding a multicolor machine to your setup? Know your running costs first.
Use our 3D print cost calculator to compare materials, electricity, and profit margin across different setups.
Open calculator →2) Industrial AM news: certification and production
Industrial additive manufacturing news in 2026 is about certification, qualification, and metal 3D printed parts jumping from demo to production.
Nikon SLM Solutions + Additive Assurance
Nikon SLM Solutions partnered with Additive Assurance to integrate multi-laser monitoring and qualification tech into the NXG platform.
Why it matters: Industrial metal AM growth is less about "wow geometry" and more about process monitoring and repeatability — the unsexy stuff that gets purchase orders signed.
Velo3D qualified for U.S. Army ground vehicles
Velo3D qualified as an AM vendor for U.S. Army ground vehicles at MILAM (Military Additive Manufacturing Summit), February 2026. Defense qualification raises QA expectations across the whole supplier ecosystem.
U.S. Navy: real parts on real ships
Metal 3D printed components are being fitted to major naval platforms. The Navy is using AM to reduce lead times and supplier bottlenecks for spare parts — a repeatable business case that doesn't depend on geometry novelty.
Aluminium alloys: 6061 and 2024 in LPBF
Elementum 3D extended laser powder bed fusion to legacy aluminium grades (6061, 2024) using reactive in-situ ceramics. More printable alloys = more markets manufacturers can credibly move to additive.
3) Software: slicers get smarter (and more controlling)
Slicer updates continue the trend toward simulation-first toolpaths and tighter vendor ecosystems.
Simulation-first slicing
Research (via EurekAlert) describes slicers that simulate multiple bead widths and toolpaths before printing — turning the slicer into a "print outcome prediction" engine, not just a G-code exporter.
Ecosystem slicers in 2026
- Creality pushing Creality Print as default — tight Creality Cloud integration.
- Prusa's PrusaSlicer keeps updating for MK4S and XL multi-tool workflows.
- OrcaSlicer (community fork) drives feature expectations — March 2.3 update cuts purge waste 30%.
- Bambu Studio updates pace with X1E and H2D hardware announcements.
Why it matters: Vendors want you in their ecosystem. Convenient for users. Less fun for anyone who values full control of their toolchain.
4) Regulations and AM standards
Lawmakers focus on edge cases (firearms); standards bodies clean up everything else. Both are accelerating.
Washington State firearms bill (updated March status)
SB 5078 would require firmware-level firearm-blocking in consumer 3D printers. Advanced through committee in late February, in Senate Rules as of March 2026. EFF and industry groups are challenging the technical feasibility. No equivalent bills in other US states yet.
UK product safety — you are a manufacturer
UK trading standards continue to emphasise that 3D printed products sold to consumers must meet safety requirements — CE/UKCA marking where applicable, correct warnings, age-appropriate design. The "I sell prints on Etsy" era is maturing into "I am legally a manufacturer".
For sellers: Make sure your pricing accounts for compliance overhead. Our pricing guide includes a section on business costs beyond materials.
ISO/TC 261 and ASTM AM standards
Standards activity continues via ISO/TC 261 and ASTM AM standards. Covers process categories, terminology, test methods, quality parameters. Standards are how industries scale — and how RFQ checkboxes get filled.
5) What to watch through Q2 2026
- Bambu Lab H2D — large-format enclosed CoreXY, launched at CES, units shipping Q2. Could shift the price baseline for enclosed large-bed printers significantly.
- More affordable multicolor as Elegoo, Creality, and Bambu all compete on AMS-style systems under £400.
- OrcaSlicer 2.4+ expected before mid-year with AI-assisted first-layer detection and auto-calibration improvements.
- Washington State bill decision — likely Q2/Q3 outcome. Sets precedent for whether printer firmware regulation is technically or politically viable.
- Stratasys + Desktop Metal integration — product line consolidation and dealer channel rationalisation expected to create gaps competitors will fill.
FAQ: 3D printing news 2026
What are the most notable new 3D printers in 2026?
CES 2026 highlighted the Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo (~£399 four-colour CoreXY), Creality SPARKX i7 (AI-assisted multicolor), and AtomForm Palette 300 (36-colour tool swapping, ~$2,199). By March, Bambu Lab cut the A1 Mini Combo to ~£349 in the UK. Enclosed CoreXY with multicolor AMS-style systems is now the mainstream recommendation rather than a premium option.
What changed in 3D printing software in early 2026?
OrcaSlicer 2.3 (March 2026) improved multi-material purge efficiency by up to 30% and added a streamlined calibration flow. Slicer vendors are generally moving toward simulation-first toolpath planning and tighter cloud/device ecosystem integration. Expect more "measure first, slice second" workflows through the year.
What is the status of the Washington State 3D printer bill in March 2026?
SB 5078, which would require firmware-level firearm-blocking in consumer 3D printers, passed committee in late February and was in the Senate Rules committee as of March 2026. The EFF and industry groups are challenging technical feasibility. No equivalent bills exist in other US states yet.
Are 3D printing regulations affecting UK sellers?
Yes. UK trading standards rules (reinforced in 2025–2026) mean anyone selling 3D printed products to consumers must treat themselves as a manufacturer — correct labeling, CE/UKCA marking where applicable, and age-appropriate design. This applies to Etsy, Depop, local markets, and B2B sales.
What is the best budget multicolor 3D printer in March 2026?
The Bambu Lab A1 Mini Combo (~£349 after recent price cut) and Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo (~£399) are the leading budget multicolor options as of March 2026. Both use AMS-style filament switching for 4-colour prints with decent out-of-box reliability.
New printer, new filament, new costs
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