As a new year begins, 3DCentral enters 2026 with concrete plans, clear priorities, and the operational foundation to execute on both. Our 200+ printer facility in Laval, Quebec is larger, more capable, and more refined than it was twelve months ago. The team is experienced. The systems are proven. The catalog is deep. And the community of customers, artists, and print farm operators who make up the 3DCentral ecosystem is more engaged than ever.
This is not a list of resolutions. It is a roadmap — specific initiatives with timelines, budgets, and teams assigned. Here is what 2026 looks like from inside our operation.
Quebec-Made Filament: From Internal Use to Market
One of our most significant 2026 initiatives is bringing Quebec-made filament to market. This is not an overnight pivot — the groundwork has been laid through months of material testing, supplier evaluation, and formulation development.
Why Make Our Own Filament
We consume enormous quantities of filament. At 200+ printers running around the clock, our annual filament consumption is measured in tonnes, not kilograms. That volume gives us deep operational knowledge about what makes filament perform well at production scale — consistency in diameter, predictability in thermal behavior, reliability in color reproduction across batches, and smooth feeding through Bowden and direct-drive systems.
Most commercially available filament is designed for hobbyist use cases: single printers, short runs, moderate expectations. Production-grade filament for 24/7 farm operations has different requirements. Developing a filament formulated specifically for the demands we experience daily is a natural extension of our manufacturing expertise.
Made in Quebec
Manufacturing filament in Quebec aligns with our broader commitment to local production. The same clean hydroelectric power that runs our printers will power filament production. Shorter supply chains mean faster replenishment, lower shipping emissions, and reduced exposure to international supply chain disruptions. The Made in Quebec badge will carry the same meaning on our filament packaging as it does on our finished products.
Catalog Expansion: Depth and Breadth
Our product catalog will grow significantly in 2026, driven by three parallel strategies.
New Artist Collaborations
Our existing partnerships with artists like Cinderwing3D, McGybeer, Flexi Factory, Zou3D, Gob3D, Twisty Prints, and Arbiter will continue and deepen. Additionally, we are in active discussions with new artists whose work will bring fresh styles, themes, and design approaches to the catalog. Each new artist expands the range of what customers can discover in our collections.
Expanded Seasonal Collections
The seasonal collection strategy that matured in 2025 will expand in 2026 with more designs per season, earlier availability, and stronger thematic coherence. Each quarterly collection — spring, summer, fall, and holiday — will include exclusive limited-run designs alongside seasonal variants of popular catalog staples from our duck, gnome, and figurine collections.
New Product Categories
Without revealing specific designs (subscribe to our newsletter for first-look announcements), 2026 will introduce entirely new product categories that extend our reach into adjacent collector markets. These categories have been identified through customer feedback, market research, and design feasibility testing over the past several months. The first launches are scheduled for Q1.
On-Demand Custom Printing: Bringing Personalization to Scale
One of our most anticipated 2026 initiatives is the launch of on-demand custom 3D printing services. This offering will allow customers to submit their own designs and receive production-quality prints manufactured at our facility.
How It Will Work
Customers will be able to upload 3D model files through our website, select material and color options, receive instant pricing based on volume and complexity, and place orders that flow directly into our production queue. The same printers, operators, and quality standards that produce our catalog items will handle custom orders.
Focus on Decorative and Collectible Objects
Our on-demand service will focus on the same product categories as our catalog: decorative objects, figurines, display pieces, and collectible items. This is not an industrial prototyping service — it is a way for individuals to bring their personal creative visions to life with professional production quality and Made in Canada manufacturing.
Commercial License Program Growth
The Commercial License program will expand in 2026 with a growing design library, improved subscriber tools, and enhanced support for print farm operators who use our designs as part of their commercial operations.
Expanding the Design Library
Every new design added to the 3DCentral catalog simultaneously becomes available to Commercial License subscribers. As the catalog grows in 2026, so does the value proposition for subscribers — more designs, more variety, more opportunity to diversify their own product offerings.
Subscriber Tools
New tools for license subscribers will make it easier to browse available designs, download production-ready files, and track licensing compliance. These tools reflect feedback from current subscribers about what would make the program more valuable for daily production operations.
Community and Content
Our blog will continue producing behind-the-scenes content, production insights, and collector-focused articles throughout 2026. We are expanding our content strategy to include more technical deep-dives for print farm operators, artist spotlights that introduce the people behind the designs, and collector guides that help customers discover products aligned with their interests.
The Mystery Box subscription will evolve with improved curation, seasonal themes, and subscriber-exclusive designs that create genuine excitement with each monthly delivery.
Sustainability Commitments
2026 targets include further reductions in packaging waste, expanded filament recycling programs, and the environmental benefits of locally produced filament replacing imported alternatives. Our facility’s reliance on Quebec’s hydroelectric grid — one of the cleanest energy mixes available — remains a foundational sustainability advantage that grows more relevant as customers increasingly value environmental responsibility in their purchasing decisions.
Industry Outlook: Where 3D Printing Is Heading
Beyond 3DCentral’s specific plans, the broader 3D printing industry enters 2026 with momentum on multiple fronts.
Speed Improvements
Printer manufacturers are delivering hardware that prints faster without sacrificing quality. These speed improvements translate directly to production throughput — more units per machine per day, which enables either higher output or more competitive pricing.
Material Innovation
New filament formulations, improved color options, and specialty materials (silk finishes, marble effects, wood composites) expand the creative possibilities for decorative and collectible products. Material innovation drives product differentiation, which is essential in a growing market.
Software Maturation
Slicing software, fleet management tools, and quality monitoring systems are all maturing rapidly. The infrastructure that enables farm-scale operations to run efficiently is becoming more accessible, lowering the barrier to entry for new operators and improving efficiency for established farms.
The Year Begins
When the clock struck midnight on January 1, our printers kept running. The new year started the same way the old one ended — with machines building objects, technicians ensuring quality, and a commitment to turning digital designs into physical products that bring satisfaction to the people who collect them.
Thank you for being part of the 3DCentral community. 2026 is going to be a year worth watching. Browse our full catalog in the shop, and happy New Year from everyone at our facility in Laval, Quebec.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When will 3DCentral launch Quebec-made filament? A: Quebec-made filament is in active development with a planned 2026 launch. The filament is being formulated specifically for production-scale 3D printing based on our operational experience running 200+ printers. Subscribe to our newsletter for launch announcements and availability details.
Q: Will 3DCentral offer custom 3D printing services? A: Yes. On-demand custom 3D printing is a planned 2026 service that will allow customers to upload their own designs and receive production-quality prints manufactured at our Quebec facility. The service will focus on decorative objects, figurines, and collectibles — consistent with our existing product focus.
Q: How can print farm operators access 3DCentral designs for commercial use? A: The 3DCentral commercial license provides subscribers with access to our full design library for commercial production. Subscribers can legally print and sell designs from our catalog while their subscription is active. The program is expanding in 2026 with more designs, improved tools, and enhanced support for operators.
