Lix Pen: the Brit-made 3D printing pen that puts 3Doodler in the shade
The smallest, smartest 3D pen we’ve seen so far has smashed through its Kickstarter target in two hours
We’ve seen 3D printing pens before
Yes, we have – most notably the 3Doodler – but the Lix is something a little bit more refined.
How so?
Well, for starters it’s smaller, sleeker (just 14mm wide) and lighter (40g). Made of aluminium, it’s really no bigger than a fountain pen. And unlike the 3Doodler, it doesn’t need to be hooked up to a power socket on the wall: it can draw power from a USB 3.0 port on your PC.
READ MORE: 3Doodler review
It looks a little more professional…
That’s the idea. Its makers claim the Lix is not merely a toy but instead something that artists, architects and designers can use in a professional capacity. There’s a nice measure of control on offer, thanks to two speeds of plastic extrusion.
What kind of plastic does it use?
Filaments of ABS/PLA plastic, which can be loaded in 10in strips. Lix’s makers say that one 10in cartridge will give the user around five minutes of sketching time, so you’ll need 15 or so for an hour of use. It’s estimated that that’ll cost approximately US$10 (£7) for a pack of 30 strips.
How do I get one?
Well, Lix’s London-based founders were seeking £30,000 on Kickstarter, but with 29 days left at the time of writing they’ve already exceeded that by a huge margin, racking up £115,000 in pledges. You’ll currently need to pledge £82 or more to get one, with delivery estimated for December 2014. Early bird pledgers (all these spots have gone, sadly) could have received one by October.
[Kickstarter via TechCrunch]
Correction: The original version of this story incorrectly stated that the 3Doodler had one extrusion speed. It has two.
Sam Kieldsen
Contributor 
