Snapmaker: the Shenzhen brand born on Kickstarter, now with four heads

Snapmaker’s U1 keeps each of its four colours in a separate print head, and it is the whole head that the machine swaps to change colour or material: five seconds, according to the brand. The idea is a sharp break from the usual multicolour printing, which goes through a single nozzle and purges the filament at every change. For the Shenzhen brand, it is a turning point: long known for modular machines, it now delivers a product centred on a single gesture.

How it began

Snapmaker was founded in 2016 in Shenzhen, China, according to 3DPrint.com. The company made its name on Kickstarter, the crowdfunding platform: its modular 2.0 machine raised nearly 8 million dollars there, which made it, according to the same outlet, the most funded technology product on the platform at the time.

It defines itself as a technology company that develops, manufactures and sells desktop tool-changer 3D printers, with the ambition of putting manufacturing within everyone’s reach. Its products are made in mainland China, the brand says.

A range that is narrowing

Snapmaker used to offer all-in-one machines that could 3D print but also laser engrave and mill. Its Artisan models, presented on the European shop as 3-in-1 machines, continue that line. Tom’s Hardware, which wrote a review of the U1, notes that this machine looks little like its predecessors: it is built on Klipper and OrcaSlicer, two open projects, and takes up the principle of a compact frame with CoreXY motion.

Today, the centrepiece is the U1, a four-head tool changer with a 270 mm cubic build volume. Around it revolve accessories: an optional lid for engineering materials, spare heads, a filament dryer, build plates and a collection of RFID-chip filaments that the machine recognises. The slicing software, Snapmaker Orca, derives from OrcaSlicer, and an app lets you monitor prints remotely.

What the brand stands for

Snapmaker claims hardware designed for simplicity: according to it, the U1 sets the alignment of its heads on its own and loads filament without intervention. It highlights an open system, with filaments from other makers accepted and software built on an open-source project. It also says it has put its swap mechanism through more than a million cycles, based on its own measurements.

The brand cites industry experts in its presentation. Tom’s Hardware gave the machine its Editor’s Choice, praising an affordable and easy-to-use tool changer. Make: also praises the hands-off calibration, while finding the plastic casing a little thin.

Right now

The U1’s Kickstarter campaign ended on 30 September 2025. It raised more than 20 million dollars from more than 20,000 backers, which makes it, according to 3DPrint.com, the most funded 3D printer project on the platform. Make:, for its part, speaks of the third-largest funding total on Kickstarter, all products combined.

Today, the brand says it has shipped more than 100,000 units of the machine worldwide. Its accessory catalogue is growing: the U1’s lid is available for pre-order, and the Snapmaker Space model library is in beta.

For readers in Switzerland

According to the brand, Switzerland is among the countries served by its global shop: orders to Switzerland are shipped from its German warehouse. The two-year warranty stated for the U1 also applies, according to it, to buyers in Switzerland. The European shop is offered in English, German, French, Italian, Dutch and Spanish.