The 3D-printing starter kit for keyboard people

Everything on this page is something we'd recommend to a friend starting out: one easy printer, the filaments and resins that actually get used, and the finishing supplies that make prints look store-bought. New to this? Read what actually works first.

About the links: we're finalizing our retail partnerships now, so purchase links are being activated as approvals come through. When they're live, some links will earn us a commission at no extra cost to you — it never changes what we recommend, and we flag bad deals too. Prices below are ballparks; the digest tracks the real drops.

Printers

Bambu Lab A1 Mini

Entry pick · typically around $200

The closest thing to "it just works" in 3D printing right now. Prints cases, wrist rests, switch openers, and desk toys with almost no tinkering. The small bed is the only real limit — full-size keyboard cases need the A1.

Check price

Bambu Lab A1

Step up · typically around $400

Same easy experience as the Mini with a bigger bed that fits full-size keyboard cases and large wrist rests. If you know you'll print cases, start here and skip the upgrade later.

Check price

A 4K+ mono-LCD resin printer

For keycap stems · typically $150–$250

Any current 4K-or-better resin printer from the major brands does the job for keycap stems and artisan caps — this is the one category where FDM genuinely can't compete. Add this second, not first. Budget for ventilation and a respirator (below).

Check price

Filament

PLA, 1 kg

The default · typically $20–$25

Start here. PLA prints easily, it's strong enough for every desk accessory, and it takes dye beautifully. Polymaker and Bambu's own PLA are both consistently good; color is personal, black and white go first.

Check price

PETG, 1 kg

The tough one · typically $20–$28

For parts that take abuse or live somewhere warm — keyboard cases that travel, tenting legs, anything load-bearing. Slightly fussier to print than PLA, noticeably more durable.

Check price

ABS-like tough resin, 1 kg

For resin printing · typically $30–$40

Standard resin is brittle — a dropped keycap cracks. ABS-like/tough resin fixes that and is worth the small premium for anything that gets handled, which is every keycap.

Check price

Paint, dye & finishing

Synthetic-fabric dye

For dyeing PLA · typically under $10

A hot dye bath gives PLA deep, even color that can't chip because it's in the plastic. The synthetic-fiber formulas (like Rit DyeMore) are the ones that work — regular fabric dye won't take.

Check price

Spray primer + acrylic clear coat

For painted finishes · typically $8–$12 per can

Primer hides layer lines and gives color something to grip; clear coat protects the finish from finger wear. The primer matters more than the paint brand. Any hardware-store acrylics do the job.

Check price

Wet/dry sandpaper assortment

The unglamorous essential · typically under $15

Wet-sanding through progressively finer grits before paint is what erases the layer-line look. Nobody wants to do it; everybody's finished prints look better because of it.

Check price

Safety

Half-mask respirator with organic vapor cartridges

Non-negotiable for resin & paint · typically $25–$35

Resin fumes and spray paint both need real respiratory protection and ventilation — not a dust mask. Buy this before the resin printer, not after.

Check price