Shapeways now offers two full-color printing options: "High Definition Full Color" and "Full Color Nylon 12 (MJF)". This thread compares airplane prints in the two materials. I'll refer to them as "HDFC" and "FCN12". (Actually there are some sub-categories that depend on whether Shapeways does some post-printing spray-on coating for a few extra dollars.)
HDFC FCN12 Surface Quality Smooth, Satin-like Rough, Matte Cost¹ US$35-$45 US$12.77 Color Precision Excellent Excellent Color Gamut Excellent Good Droopy Wings Some initial prints, but easily corrected Not a problem Printer Type Mimaki HP Shapeways Premier Feb 2022² Aug 2022 ¹ = For one mid-sized single-seat biplane fighter.
² = Autumn 2021 through Etsy only; direct sales in Feb 2022.
To my untrained eye, at arm's length both materials look sharp, though the HDFC model is semi-glossy and the FCN12 model is completely matte. That and the blacks are darker on HDFC. But they both look pretty good, and they're both made of robust material that is unlikely to shatter or easily deform. Seen with the naked eye, the grain on FCN12 doesn't stand out unless you hold it up close. It looks like this small-scale photo (which, depending on your monitor, is supposed to look like a plane at arm's length):
It's only when you get up close that the uneven surface on FCN12 stands out. And of course, the following photos -- taken with a macro lens -- accentuate that grain. Here are some comparison pictures between a green&mauve Albatros D.III (Jasta 2) and an Austro-Hungarian Hautzmayer Albatros D.III(Oef). By the way, the color on the Hautzmayer top deck is a mottled green on top of a yellow-brown, so it's supposed to look that way -- that isn't a printing artifact. Look to the stripes and markings if you want to see a solid color.
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