HeyGears G1X Crosses $10M on Kickstarter With a 3D Plus UV Printer Hybrid

Three Machines in One Enclosure

The HeyGears G1X is not a typical 3D printer. It is a 3-in-1 desktop machine that combines volumetric full-color 3D printing, flatbed UV printing on almost any surface, and raised texture relief printing in a single enclosure. The texture relief mode can raise a printed image up to 5mm off the surface, which opens up applications that are genuinely hard to replicate with a standard FDM or resin setup. The flatbed UV system prints directly onto glass, metal, wood, canvas, acrylic, and more than 400 other materials.

The Kickstarter campaign passed $10 million at time of writing. That is not quite the $40 million eufyMake E1 record, but it is a significant number for a machine with no shipping track record. Early backers are paying a deposit to secure a spot ahead of a full campaign launch, with an expected retail price between $5,000 and $5,500 after the campaign closes.

How the Color System Works

The G1X uses an Epson i3200-U1HD printhead that produces millions of colors through a UV-curable ink system. That is a different approach from the multi-filament color systems on consumer printers like the Bambu Lab X1 Carbon or the Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2, where color comes from mixing spools of PLA. Ink-based color gamut is far wider, and the surface finish is smoother because the ink sits on or in the material rather than being laid down as a melted strand.

For 3D prints specifically, the G1X coats the model in a water-soluble support bubble that peels away cleanly. That eliminates the sanding and post-processing that resin prints usually require. The machine also supports DTF fabric printing with water-based inks, which opens up a direct path from digital file to wearable design without outsourcing.

Where It Fits in the Market

At $5,000 plus, the G1X is not competing with consumer desktop printers. The nearest analog is probably the eufyMake E1, which is cheaper and offers UV printing without the 3D printing capability, or the Morphy desktop UV printer, which also sits below this price point. What makes the G1X unusual is that it is the first machine to genuinely combine all three modes in one product at this scale.

Creative businesses are the obvious target. Merchandisers who want to run short-run custom products, toy designers doing prototype runs, game studios printing collectibles with full paint-ready detail, and design studios that need to produce physical samples on deadline all have a workflow that the G1X streamlines. Replacing a 3D printer, a UV flatbed, and a manual painting station with one machine is a real efficiency gain if the quality is there.

The Honest Caveats

Kickstarter hardware campaigns carry real risk. The specifications are manufacturer claims. No independent reviewer has tested a production unit. The five-second toolhead swap claims and the 600mm/s top speed are numbers that have not been verified under real-world conditions. Delivery timelines for crowdfunding hardware slip regularly, and buyers should treat the campaign as a pre-order with extra uncertainty, not a normal retail purchase.

The price is also worth thinking about carefully. The base G1X is expensive, and the deluxe bundle options are where the total climbs significantly. If you only need one of the three modes, you are paying for two capabilities you will not use. That is not a flaw in the product, but it is a real consideration for anyone doing the math against dedicated single-purpose machines.

Still, the concept is sound. Full-color 3D printing without manual painting, UV printing on unconventional surfaces, and relief printing in one box is a genuinely useful combination. If HeyGears delivers on reliability and print quality, the G1X could reshape how small creative workshops think about desktop fabrication. The $10 million in Kickstarter backing suggests a lot of people are willing to find out.