FAQ: OLO - The First Ever Smartphone 3D Printer.
For the most up-to-date information about the status of our project, check our project updates on Kickstarter!

Which countries do you ship to?

Aruba, Antigua and Barbuda, UAE, Albania, Armenia, Andorra, America Samoa, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Anguilla, Bahrain, Barbados, Bermuda, Belgium, Bangladesh, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bolivia, Myanmar, Solomon Islands, Bhutan, Bulgaria, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Cambodia, China, Chile, Cayman Islands, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cape Verde, Cook Islands, Curacao, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, El Salvador, EU, French Guiana, Finland, Fiji, French Polynesia, France, Georgia, Gibraltar, Grenada, Greenland, Germany, Guadeloupe, Guam, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jamaica, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Libya, Madagascar, Martinique, Marshall Islands, Moldova, Montserrat, Macedonia, Mali, Monaco, Morocco, Mauritius, Mauritania, Malta, Maldives, Mexico, Myanmar, Malaysia, Namibia, New Caledonia, Netherlands, Norway, Nepal, Nicaragua, New Zealand, Oman, Paraguay, Peru, Pakistan, Poland, Panama, Portugal, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Phillipines, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sint Maarten, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Island, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad, Tobago, Tunisia, East Timor, Turkey, UK, Ukraine, Uruguay, USA, Uzbekistan, British Virgin Islands, Vietnam, Zimbabwe.

Orders from the USA, Canada, and Latin America will ship from our distribution center in the USA.

Orders from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa will ship from our distribution center in Italy.

Orders from Asia and Australia will ship from our distribution center in Japan.

How can I pledge to get more than one reward package?

Kickstarter allows you to back a project only once, however we have teamed with BackerKit to allow backers to add additional items to their pledges. Once the campaign has ended all backers will receive an email with a link to add additional products to their pledge.

What is the average pinter speed/layers per minute?

The OLO can print a single layer of a thickness of 0.035mm to 0.2mm (and of any width or length -OLO print times are independent of the XY dimensions of the object being printed) in 20-32 seconds. The time is determined by the brightness of the screen of your smartphone. For example: an iPhone 6 can print a 1cm tall object in approximately 46 minutes, or 1 inch in approximately 1 hour and 55 minutes.

Is there a special chemical needed to clean the object after printing?

No. No special chemicals are needed to clean a printed object. Just rinse your object in warm, filtered water. While the OLO completely cures the model as it prints it, a deeper, more durable cure of your model can be achieved by exposing the printed object to sunlight for 5 minutes. You can also refine the finish of your printed object by swabbing it with rubbing alcohol.

How durable are the models?

Some model plastics are “firm but biodegradable over 10 years” Resin durability is comparable to other standard UV resins.

Does the print precision depend on the smartphone display resolution?

Yes, print precision depends on the resolution and the contrast of your smartphone.

Do I have to use proprietary resins or can I use other resins? Why?

OLO printers work only with OLO resins. This is because we want to make sure you experience the highest quality prints using safe and tested materials.

How can I buy resin after the campaign and how much will it cost?

In addition to the option of adding resins and other gear to your pledge at the end of the campaign using BackerKit (a link to which will be emailed to all backers when the campaign ends), we will also sell the resins, printers, gear, and accesories on our website. Additionally, we are currently considering other distributers for the OLO and its resins. We will keep all Kickstarter backers up to date on where they can buy resins after the Kickstarter ends.

Resin will be available for $15 per 100mL bottle (not including local taxes and import costs if applicable).

Can I mix resin colors of the same type to get a new color?

No, but we are working to make it possible in the future.

Can you reuse the resin that is leftover in the chamber?

Yes, simply filter any partially hardened material and pour the resin back in the bottle.

If OLO’s resin is light sensitive, why are the bottles of resin white in the video and pictures?

The bottles in the video are transparent only for illustration purposes, to show the variety of colors they are available in. The actual resin will come in black bottles. Store resins in a cool, dry place.

What is the shelf life for the resin?

It is best to use the resin within 1 year of purchase.

Can you switch resins when printing to get a multi-material object?

No.

Does the resin need to be stored in a special way?

Yes, the resin is light sensitive so it needs to be stored in a cool, dry place, and be kept at room temperature (50-95 degrees Fahrenheit or 10-35 degrees Celsius).

How do you know how much resin to use?

OLO tells you how much resin to pour into the printing chamber. Once you select your model for printing OLO automatically determines algorithmicly how much resin is required based on the file.

Can materials be ordered without being part of a kit, i.e. just wax, or just black?

Yes. In addition to the option of adding resins and other gear individually to your pledge at the end of the campaign using BackerKit, a link to which will be emailed to all backers, we will also sell the resins, printers, gear, and accesories on our website. Additionally, we are currently considering other distributors for the OLO and its resins. We will keep all Kickstarter backers up to date on where they can buy resins after the Kickstarter ends.

Can OLO printed objects be painted?

Yes. OLO objects can be painted with standard acrylic-based paints.

What are the maximum dimensions for phones that can fit in the OLO’s universal adaptor base?

OLO will fit phones up to the maximum dimensions of 162mm x 82mm x 10mm, or 6.37” x 3.2” x 0.39”

Why does OLO have a case around the phone?

The case is a universal adaptor that helps the phone to remain stable, it is especially useful when the bottom of the phone is curved or if the phone’s camera sits above the level of the phone’s surface.

What happens when I get a phone call or text while printing?

The phone must be in airplane mode, the wifi must be disconnected, and alerts must be turned off during printing.

Can I print on another device other than a phone?

No.

What if my smartphone’s charging port is on the side?

OLO will work with smartphones whose charging ports are located on the side of the device.

Does the smartphone need to be attached to an AC adapter?

Yes. The smartphone must be charging while OLO is printing. There is a gap in the universal adaptor base to accommodate a cord.

Does OLO support obj, stl, or ply files?

Yes, OLO supports obj/stl/ply files.

Does the printer bed need to be replaced?

No. However the the build film (a .15 mm thick film within a plastic that seals against the interior resin tank to avoid spilling) does occasionally need to be replaced. The film can be cleaned and re-used up to three times, but also thrown out and replaced after each print. Each resin bottle comes with one films, and more can be purchased in packs of 20 for $5 per 20-pack.

What are the print area dimensions and max print size?

The print volume is 76mm x 128mm x 52mm or 3 x 5 x 2 inches.

What is the process for printer clean up?

Cleaning Olo is simple. First, wipe out any excess resin with a paper towel, then wipe down the interior with rubbing alcohol.

Will the OLO software be compatible with older versions of iOS (7.x?) and with Android versions for Kindle?

Yes.

How is the printer synched to the phone?

OLO syncs with your phone via audio (20/18 kHz frequency).

Do you plan to have Stretch Goals?

No. The OLO campaign is a huge success, and we want to use all of our time and energy to fulfill our backers’ expectations and ship a perfect OLO within our promised time frames.

Can you provide us more information about your daylight resin?

In the next few days we will be publishing a comparison between our daylight resin and other common UV resins already on the market.

Are the resins non-toxic?

No. Our uncured resins safety and use guidelines are in line with many other 3D resins on the market. The resin is intended for ages 12 years and up. It can irritate the skin, and may cause damage if it comes in contact with the eyes. The resin is not edible and is not for use with items that come in contact with food.

How do you dispose of the resin?

While paper towels used to clean out the printer can be thrown in the garbage, resin disposal regulations vary state by state. Please check with the refuse agency in your community for proper disposal.

Why doesn’t OLO work with devices other than a smartphone?

OLO uses sound to communicate between the printer and the phone. Because smartphones have an upward pointing earpiece which conveys sound directly to the sensor they are especially suited for this mode of communication. Other hardware systems have not been tested with OLO.

Will screen protectors effect printing?

Screen protectors up to 0.2 mm thick will not affect printing. Screen protectors thicker than 0.2mm will still produce prints, but they will have poorer resolution.

How does the optical system handle the varying sizes of screen pixels on different smartphones?

OLO uses a vector based filetype to scale and correctly adjust to any size or ppi density smartphone screen. While the image projected will be the same on higher and lower resolution screens, lower resolution screens will print objects with lower definition. In other words: the higher the definition of the screen the higher the definition of the print.

Can OLO fit smartphones with protruding cameras?

Yes. OLO has a universal soft adapter which holds your phone before the printer is placed on top of it. This creates a rim which raises the body of the printer above the phone’s protruding camera.

Will OLO work with Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print or Windows 3D?

While we have not yet tested this as a feature, theoretically our web services should be able to communicate with 3rd party services via an API. We will be exploring this further and will update the campaign as we have more information. Thanks for this excellent question!

How long will a set of batteries last?

OLO requires 4 AA batteries and should be able to print about 100 times before the batteries need to be replaced. OLO will let you know if its batteries need to be replaced before you start printing.

Why did you opt for standard AA batteries rather than a rechargeable built-in battery?

Because lithium ion batteries are more expensive both to implement and to ship we decided to use AA batteries to keep OLO’s cost down. We want to do all we can to make OLO affordable for everyone.

What is the “build film” between the phone and the resin?

The build film is a 0.15mm thick film that that seals the interior resin tank to avoid spilling. The film can be cleaned and reused up to three times or it can be discarded and replaced after each printing. Each bottle of resin comes with 3 films, additional films can be purchased in packs of 20, and will cost $5 per 20-pack.

Besides resin, what else does OLO use?

OLO uses a building film, a thin plastic sheet to seal the tank to avoid spills. These sheets can be cleaned and re-used up to three times before being replaced. Each bottle of resin comes with three films and additional films can be purchased in packs of 20, and will cost $5 per 20-pack.

Can I see more detailed pictures and videos of the building process and printed objects?

Yes! We will be uploading more pictures and videos soon. We will post an update to the site when they are added.

OLO’s app is cloud based, does it have its own servers?

No. OLO is using Amazon and Google servers.

Is the cloud based OLO software going to be subscription based?

While you will need to set up an account, OLO’s app will always be free.

Will the app be free? Will there be any addons available for purchase?

Yes, OLO’s app will be always free. Some 3rd party 3D libraries may be available for purchase at a later date.

How does OLO’s app work?

Once you have selected a model that you would like to print from within the app it will be sent as an STL file to our cloud servers. There, it will be processed into the individual layers required to create the model. It is then converted into a .olo file, a vector layer file format with a synchronized audio component. It is a small file is only about 1/6 the size of a normal STL file. This file is then downloaded from the servers and saved locally on the phone. The phone must have notifications turned off, disconnected from wifi, and be placed in Airplane Mode so as not to cause interruptions to the print job. Then the printing begins!

How does a file get from the PC to OLO?

PC > 3d > stl > cloud > slice > svg > olo > smartphone > OLO

What about an OLO for tablets?

Due to the amazing success of OLO’s Kickstarter campaign, we want to focus all of our efforts on ensuring we deliver the best product we can, and in the time frame we’ve promised. As a result, we have decided to push back the launch for OLO TAB, the tablet version of the OLO, for a pre-release date of March 2017.

Where will OLO ship from? Will I need to pay customs fees for the EU?

OLO will be shipping from three regional locations:

USA: Our regional center in the USA will ship to the USA, Canada, and Latin America. ITALY: Our regional center in Italy will ship to Europe, the Middle East, and Africa JAPAN: Our regional center in Japan will ship to Asia and Australia

Will you need a darkroom for OLO?

No! OLO uses a universal adapter, a frame in which you place your phone and upon which the printer is placed. This creates a sort of “mini darkroom” to ensure that the only light that reaches the resin will be the light coming from the screen of your smartphone. There is a small gap in the adapter frame that allows you to run a power cord to your phone during printing.

Is OLO compatible with smartphones with curved screens, like the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge?

No. OLO is not compatible with smartphones with curved screens, and will not be able to produce prints using them.

How can I protect or share the designs I create with other OLO users?

All designs will be stored on a secure 3rd party server.

There will be 4 settings for sharing or restricting your uploaded designs: Private: only you are able to access your design. Group: you and a group of users specified by you are able to access the model. Public: all OLO users will be able to access you design for free Revenue: your model is visible to everyone but is only downloadable by users who pay to use your design.

Can OLO print without connecting to OLO’s cloud servers?

Yes! OLO will soon be able to print without using the cloud servers. Due to overwhelming demand we are developing standalone software for printing models directly to OLO with your smartphone. This means that you will be able to print without an Internet connection, and it ensures you will be able to use OLO even if you are not able to reach our servers. You will still need to connect to our servers in order to browse models in our library or share your models with other OLO users,

What’s the difference between the GIFT PACK and the PRO PACK rewards?

The GIFT PACK includes: - 1 OLO Printer - 1 Gift Box. Elegantly designed to fit your OLO, with a special compartment for two bottles of resin, the gift box is perfect for presenting OLO as a gift. - 1 set of OLO Stickers

The PRO PACK includes: - 1 OLO Printer - 1 OLO Travel Case. Shock proof and made of neoprene, the Travel Case can hold your OLO and two bottles of resin. - 1 set of OLO Stickers

What kinds of resins are available for OLO?

We have 8 different OLO resins available to allow you to print models in a variety of textures and colors. All of our resins come in 100mL bottles, which will retail for $15 each. OLO will only support our OLO resins because we want to ensure you will be able to print high quality models from tested resins optimized for printing with OLO, and compatible with the OLO app’s printing calculations.

White 80 Solid Poly Resin.

Prints hard models in white with a matte finish, similar to PMMA.

Black 80 Solid Poly Resin. Prints hard models in black with a matte finish, similar to PMMA.

Red 60 Poly Resin. Prints flexible (but not elastic-like) models in red with a matte finish, similar to ABS.

Yellow 60 Poly Resin. Prints flexible (but not elastic-like) models in yellow with a matte finish, similar to ABS.

Blue 60 Poly Resin. Prints flexible (but not elastic-like) models in blue with a matte finish, similar to ABS.

Wax 30 Poly Resin. Prints models in a material similar to hard wax in a matte grey, fusible material. This resin is designed to be used to create molds which can then be used for precious metals like gold and silver in a process known as lost wax casting.

Clear 50 Poly Resin. Prints soft and flexible translucent models with a glossy finish, similar to soft PVC.

Soft 30 Poly Resin. Prints elastic-like models in a shiny, slightly translucent, amber color, similar to silicone.

Will there be more kinds of resins?

Several additional resins are currently in development, including:

  • Faster curing resins which will shorten the amount of time it takes to print a model.
  • More colors! We will be adding more colors to the OLO resin line, based on your feedback. Please send us a message or post to the comments with your requests!
  • Mixable resins to create your own colors. We are working on making our resins mixable so you can blend your own custom colors.

Do the $73 “RESIN 4-PACK”, the $103 “RESIN 6-PACK” or the $133 “RESIN 8-PACK” Pledge Rewards include an OLO Printer?

No, these pledge rewards do not include an OLO printer. Each of the pledge rewards give you a choice of resin packs, after the campaign ends you will be able to specify which resin pack you’d like.

The $133 “RESIN 8-PACK” does not include a printer, it includes a pack of eight bottles of resin. You can choose the Complete Set (which includes one bottle of each of our 8 types of resin), or the Modeler Set (which includes 4 bottles of White 80, and one bottle of each of Wax 60, Black 80, Clear 50, and Soft 30 Resins). Neither set includes a printer.

The $103 “RESIN 6-PACK” does not include a printer, it includes a pack of six bottles of resin. You can choose between the Dental Set (which includes 3 bottles of White 80, and one bottle each of Red 60, Wax 60, and Soft 30), or the Rainbow Set (which includes two bottle of white 80 and one bottle each of red 60, yelow 60, blue 60, black 80). Neither set includes a printer.

The $73 “RESIN 4-PACK” does not include a printer, it includes a pack of four bottles of resin. You can choose between the ARCHI Set (which includes 2 bottles of White 80, one bottle of Black 80 and one bottle of Clear 50), the STAMP set (which includes 3 bottles of Soft 30 and one bottle of White 80), the EDU set (which includes one bottle each of White 80, Clear 50, Wax 60, and Soft 30), or the GOLDSMITH set (which includes 3 bottles of Wax 60 and one bottle of White 80). None of these sets includes a printer.

The resins will sell individually for $15 for a 100mL bottle. The pledge reward includes the price of shipping which is why a gift pack costs more than the bottles would individually.

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