When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works

Home / News / Lix Pen: the Brit-made 3D printing pen that puts 3Doodler in the shade

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

Lix comes in black matte and grey matte finishes

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.

Precise, intricate models can be created

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.

SEE MORE HOT STUFF

Profile image of Sam Kieldsen Sam Kieldsen Contributor

About

Tech journalism's answer to The Littlest Hobo, I've written for a host of titles and lived in three different countries in my 15 years-plus as a freelancer. But I've always come back home to Stuff eventually, where I specialise in writing about cameras, streaming services and being tragically addicted to Destiny.

Areas of expertise

Cameras, drones, video games, film and TV

Enable referrer and click cookie to search for eefc48a8bf715c1b ad9bf81e74a9d264 [] 2.7.22