Snapmaker announces new U1 3D printer in a bold return to Kickstarter

Snapmaker has made a bold return to Kickstarter today with the announcement of its exciting new U1 3D printer, said to be its most innovative product yet. What makes the U1 so special is not only the 5x blazing speeds and intelligent features, but the dramatically reduced filament waste per multicolour print, thanks to its consumer-level modular design comprising 4 separate toolheads.

Filament waste (effectionately known as printer poop to many) is a pretty big pain point in the 3D printing industry, and I love that Snapmaker has considered a means to tackle this problem with its latest U1 launch. It seems some of the best 3D printers of 2025 are seriously levelling up, while entering other craft territories at the same time *cough Bambu Lab cough*.

The upcoming Snapmaker U1 makes use of a new SnapSwap system, allowing the printer to switch colours in just five seconds, while reducing filament usage to 20% of the usual amount, with zero purge (yes, really. While I don't have any details on pricing or availability to share just yet, it seems the Snapmaker U1 will be making its way to Kickstarter soon, and the company has said details are "on the way".

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Snapmaker has had immense success previously in using Kickstarter to launch new products, with two record-breaking campaigns in 2017 and 2019 with the Snapmaker Original and Snapmaker 2.0. Speaking of Kickstarter campaigns, the eufyMake E1 UV printer is the latest craft machine to have broken a Kickstarter world record recently, surpassing $44.2 million / £32.6 million in pledges.

Snapmaker is already established for its innovative and best-selling Artisan 3-in-1 3D printer that combines printing, laser engraving, and CNC carving into one machine using a modular quick-swap design – so it makes sense that the company would announce a new product hot on the heels of Bambu Lab's impressive H2D revelation.

A few months back, it was rumoured that Snapmaker was working on a new hybrid 3D printer in collaboration with xTool (a major laser engraver manufacturer). While this doesn't seem to be the case anymore, I still think the U1 has a lot of potential and sounds excellent for advancing multicolour and multi-material 3D printing.

Bold. Vivid. Colorful. - YouTube

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I'm really excited to see how the campaign for the Snapmaker U1 takes off, and I'll be sure to update this article with any new info as it becomes available. For now, take a look at our Amazon Prime Day 3D printer hub for all of the best deals and low prices on currently available 3D printers.

Take a look at our guides to the best Cricut machines, as well as the best xTool machines for laser engraving, if you're someone who likes to keep your craft machines separate (and I don't blame you).