3D printed cosplay: helmets, masks, armour and props

3D printing has changed cosplay: a helmet that used to be weeks of EVA foam and filler is now a file, a few days of printer time and an afternoon of sanding. The trick is not the printing but choosing the material for what the piece will go through at a convention — heat, knocks, hours of wear — and splitting it well when it does not fit in one go.

Which material for each piece

Large pieces: when to split

The filament printer takes up to 256 × 256 × 256 mm in one go. An adult helmet usually just fits; a large pauldron or a sword does not. Splitting is not a bodge: a sectioned piece prints in a better orientation, needs fewer supports, and if one section fails only that one is reprinted. Ideally the file already comes cut with alignment tabs or pegs; if not, say so in the notes and we will tell you whether it is worth it.

From plastic to character

1. 1Quality: ask for the fine layer (0.12 mm) on helmets and masks. It costs a little more printer time and saves you hours of sanding.
2. 2Walls: three perimeters and 10–20% infill are enough. More infill only adds weight, and a heavy helmet makes itself felt by the second hour.
3. 3Finish: with "Fine sanding" you get the piece at 600 grit, ready to prime; with "Primer + paint", primed and with a coat of the base colour you choose.
4. 4Lead time: standard is 5 working days, Priority is 2 and Express 24h is 1. Order with a margin before the convention: sanding and painting at home take their own time.