Yellowish Tint in Clear Parts

Yellowish Tint in Clear Models

Sometimes, parts printed with clear material feature a yellowish tint. The yellowish tint will fade over time, but there are a few things you can do to alleviate the issue or make the yellowing fade faster.

 

3D printed pyramid models

 

Possible Causes and Solutions

Excessive UV Exposure

The yellowish tint in clear parts is caused by excessive UV exposure during the print. 

Solution: Use a suitable photobleaching treatment to expose printed parts to intense light, using an illumination chamber, floodlights, or lamps. You can remove most of the yellowing within 24 hours or less, depending on the transparent material you printed with and the geometry of your model.

Preventive measures:  Follow these recommendations:

  • Print in matte whenever possible to provide a protective layer.
  • When printing in glossy, try to arrange all parts at similar heights
  • As a good general practice for avoiding traces of other materials, run the Material Replacement and Cleaning wizards, and clean the print heads, roller, wiper, and roller waste collector.

After photobleaching, polishing will further enhance clarity.

Before and after of bleached, polished 3d printed pyramids

TIP: For more instructions, refer to the following resources in the Stratasys Support Center and in the GrabCAD Print Community: