Onyx GF: Color-Coded 3D Printing Built for the Factory Floor

On a busy production line, color often tells operators what a written label cannot get across fast enough. A red fixture near a hazard, a blue tool reserved for one production zone, a yellow jig that flags a specific part revision. Markforged has now brought that same visual logic into its Onyx material family with the launch of Onyx GF, a chopped glass fiber-filled nylon that keeps the strength and reliability manufacturers expect from Onyx, now available in factory-ready color.

At Chemtron Asia, we work with manufacturers across Singapore who print tooling, jigs, and fixtures in-house on Markforged systems. Onyx GF is one of the more practical material releases we have seen in a while, not because it does something entirely new, but because it removes a step that used to slow teams down: painting or labeling parts after the fact just to make them easy to identify on the floor.

Why Color Matters on the Production Floor

Color is one of the quickest signals a person can process on a busy floor. It works faster than reading a tag or checking a part number, which is exactly why so many manufacturing environments already lean on color-coding, whether that is line differentiation, hazard marking, or keeping parts sorted by process stage.

Onyx GF is available in six colors: red, yellow, blue, green, gray, and white. Because the color is built into the material itself, there is no paint, no coating, and no secondary labeling step required. A part comes off the printer already carrying the color it needs to do its job.

Some of the ways manufacturing teams are putting this to use:

• Assembly error-proofing: color-coded jigs and fixtures make it obvious at a glance which tool belongs to which station, cutting down on mix-ups during changeovers.
• FOD prevention: aerospace and automotive shops running foreign object debris programs can spot color-coded tooling faster during inspection sweeps.
• Zone segregation: in food, beverage, and pharmaceutical facilities where tools cannot cross between clean zones, color instantly tells an operator whether a fixture belongs in that area.
• Hazard marking: bright red or yellow parts placed near confined spaces or hazardous equipment cut down on how much operators need to rely on signage or memory alone.

The Same Onyx Performance, Now in Color

Onyx GF is not a lightweight alternative built purely for looks. It carries forward the mechanical properties Onyx is already known for: strength, stiffness, dimensional accuracy, surface finish, and consistent print reliability. Shops that already rely on Onyx for functional tooling should not expect a performance trade-off simply because the part now comes in color.

For applications that need extra structural capability, Onyx GF can still be reinforced with continuous carbon fiber, the same way standard Onyx can. It is also electrically non-conductive, which makes it a sound choice for parts that need electrical isolation, such as antenna housings and protective enclosures.

Built to Scale Across Your Facility

For manufacturers already running Markforged printers, Onyx GF slots directly into the workflow you already have. Colored tooling that once meant sending parts out for painting, or waiting on a secondary vendor, can now be produced in-house, on the same schedule, and at a lower cost. That also means every facility in your network can print the same part in the same color, so tooling stays consistent whether it is made in one plant or five.

Bringing Onyx GF Into Your Operation

Onyx GF is available now for Markforged's FX-series printers. If your team is exploring color-coded tooling, safety-critical fixtures, or simply wants to cut painting and outsourcing out of your tooling workflow, Chemtron Asia can help you evaluate whether Onyx GF is the right fit for your parts and walk you through getting it running on your Markforged system.

Frequently Asked Questions

What colors is Onyx GF available in?
Onyx GF currently comes in six colors: red, yellow, blue, green, gray, and white.

Does Onyx GF need painting or post-processing to get its color?
No. The color is built into the material, so parts come off the printer ready to use without painting, coating, or labeling.

Is Onyx GF as strong as standard Onyx?
Yes. Onyx GF carries the same strength, stiffness, and dimensional accuracy that Onyx is known for, and it can still be reinforced with continuous carbon fiber for applications that need added structural capability.

Is Onyx GF conductive?
No. Onyx GF is non-conductive, which makes it suitable for parts requiring electrical isolation, such as antenna housings and enclosures.

Which printers support Onyx GF?
Onyx GF is available now on Markforged's FX-series printers.

Get Onyx GF From Chemtron

Chemtron Asia is an authorized Markforged reseller in Singapore, and Onyx GF is now available through us. If you already run a Markforged system or are looking to bring one into your facility, we can help you get Onyx GF onto your production floor, whether that means sourcing the material, setting up your printer for it, or working out which colors and applications make sense for your operation.

Reach out to our team and we will help you get started with Onyx GF.