3D Printing Digest - February 26, 2026
Published
Creality's K1 CoreXY 3D printer has dropped to $309, nearly half its original $599 price, making it the cheapest 600mm/s CoreXY available. Prusa Research relaunches the Prusa XL with a $200 price reduction enabled by optimized production. Prusa also introduces Prusament PETG Ultraglow Green, their brightest glow-in-the-dark filament using strontium aluminate, alongside the Prusament Resin Cleaner DPM, a safer organic solvent for SLA printing.
Creality K1 Drops to $309: High-Speed CoreXY at Clearance Pricing
The Creality K1 3D printer has dropped to $309 as of February 25, 2026, down from its original price of $599. This high-speed CoreXY printer features 600mm/s maximum print speed, automatic bed leveling, and a Core XY motion system. The steep discount positions it as an entry-level speed machine for beginners and hobbyists.
The K1 at $309 is effectively clearance pricing as Creality pushes inventory to make room for the K2 series. At this price point, the K1 becomes the cheapest 600mm/s CoreXY printer available — undercutting the Bambu Lab A1 Mini ($199 but much slower) and the QIDI Q1 ($449). For first-time buyers, this is a strong value proposition: fully enclosed CoreXY at the price of a basic bedslinger. The catch is no multi-color CFS support, which the newer K2 and SPARKX i7 offer. If you do not need multi-color, the K1 at $309 is arguably the best performance-per-dollar in consumer 3D printing right now.
💡What this means for you
Core XY motion system. 600mm/s max speed. Automatic bed leveling. Enclosed build chamber. 220x220x250mm build volume. Runs Creality Print slicer. No multi-color CFS support.
Market Position: Clearance-priced high-speed CoreXY. Lowest price point for 600mm/s enclosed printing. Being replaced by K2 series in Creality lineup.
- How long will $309 pricing last before K1 is discontinued
- Continued firmware support after K2 series becomes primary product
- Whether CFS-C multi-color add-on works with base K1
⏸️ Wait if: You want multi-color printing or actively heated chamber for engineering filaments
✅ Buy if: You want the cheapest high-speed CoreXY available and do not need multi-color capability
Prusa XL Relaunches with ~$200 Price Cut Across Configurations
Prusa Research has announced a relaunch of the Prusa XL 3D printer with a price reduction of approximately $200 across configurations, enabled by optimized production processes. The fully assembled version with five tool heads sees the largest savings. Concurrently, Prusa is discontinuing the semi-assembled version by end of 2025, simplifying the product line. New silicone/epoxy and pick-and-place toolheads are planned for 2026.
The Prusa XL price cut is a response to competitive pressure from Bambu Lab's H2C and Creality's K2 Pro, both of which offer multi-material production at lower price points. By cutting ~$200, Prusa is protecting the XL's position as the only consumer printer with true independent tool changing (IDEX on steroids). The upcoming silicone/epoxy toolhead (in partnership with Filament2) and pick-and-place module (with ZHAW) are genuinely unique capabilities that no competitor currently offers. For professional prototyping shops, the Prusa XL remains the most flexible multi-material system available, and the price cut makes it more defensible against Chinese alternatives.
💡What this means for you
Up to 5 independent tool heads. 360x360x360mm build volume. Segmented heated bed. CoreXY motion. New toolheads planned: silicone/epoxy (Filament2 partnership), pick-and-place (ZHAW partnership, late 2026). Semi-assembled version being discontinued.
Market Position: Premium multi-tool 3D printer. Only consumer system with true independent tool changing. Competes with Bambu H2C and Creality K2 Pro on multi-material, but differentiated by unique toolhead capabilities.
- Exact new pricing for each configuration (1-head through 5-head)
- Timeline for silicone/epoxy toolhead availability
- Pick-and-place toolhead practical applications and reliability
⏸️ Wait if: You specifically want the silicone or pick-and-place toolheads (late 2026)
✅ Buy if: You need a multi-material production system with unmatched flexibility and open-source control
Prusament Ultraglow Green & Resin Cleaner DPM: New Materials from Prusa
Prusa Research has launched Prusament PETG Ultraglow Green, described as the brightest glow-in-the-dark filament on the market. The filament uses a high concentration of strontium aluminate for super-luminescence and requires hardened nozzles due to its abrasive nature. Separately, Prusa introduced Prusament Resin Cleaner DPM, a safer organic solvent for washing SLA resin prints with lower flammability and toxicity than traditionally used IPA (isopropyl alcohol).
The Ultraglow Green filament targets the cosplay, signage, and decorative markets where glow performance matters. Strontium aluminate is the brightest commercially available phosphorescent compound, and Prusa's claim of 'brightest on the market' is testable. The Resin Cleaner DPM is arguably more impactful for the broader market: DPM (dipropylene glycol methyl ether) is significantly safer than IPA for home workshops, with lower flammability and reduced inhalation risk. This addresses a genuine safety concern that has limited SLA adoption in home environments.
💡What this means for you
Ultraglow Green: PETG base with high-concentration strontium aluminate. Requires hardened nozzle (steel or ruby). Resin Cleaner DPM: Dipropylene glycol methyl ether. Lower flammability than IPA. Lower toxicity profile. Effective solvent for uncured resin.
Market Position: Specialty materials expanding Prusament ecosystem. Ultraglow competes with Polymaker/eSUN glow filaments. Resin Cleaner targets safety-conscious SLA users and competes with Elegoo cleaning solutions.
- Ultraglow Green pricing vs standard Prusament PETG
- Hardened nozzle wear rate with high-concentration strontium aluminate
- DPM cleaner effectiveness on different resin chemistries
⏸️ Wait if: You print only functional parts and do not need decorative or glow features
✅ Buy if: You do cosplay, signage, or decorative printing; or if you want a safer alternative to IPA for SLA post-processing
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has the Creality K1 dropped to $309?▼
Creality has reduced the K1 price to $309 as the company transitions to the newer K2 series. This represents clearance pricing to move existing inventory, making it the most affordable 600mm/s CoreXY 3D printer currently available.
What new toolheads are coming to the Prusa XL?▼
Prusa Research has announced two new toolheads for the Prusa XL: a silicone and epoxy printing toolhead developed with Filament2 for plug-and-play liquid material printing, and a pick-and-place toolhead developed with ZHAW (Zurich University of Applied Sciences) for automated component insertion during printing, targeted for late 2026.
What is Prusament Resin Cleaner DPM?▼
Prusament Resin Cleaner DPM is a new organic solvent from Prusa Research designed for washing SLA resin prints. It uses dipropylene glycol methyl ether, which has lower flammability and toxicity compared to isopropyl alcohol (IPA), making it a safer option for home workshop resin printing.