How We Make 3D Printed Bags — From Code to Carry
Watch Kyle Sullivan Clark build a front panel from raw print to finished artifact
Every bag in our shop started as code and ended as a hand-finished object. There's no mold, no die-cut, no factory line. Each one is printed layer by layer onto fabric, then detailed by hand. Here's exactly how it happens.
This article features the VOID PULSE colorway — Cosmic Black shell with Royal Purple accent seams — and covers the front panel build from raw print to finished artifact, as demonstrated by Kyle Sullivan Clark, co-founder, senior designer, and master craftsman at Variable Objects.
Watch the Full Front Panel Build
Kyle walks through the entire process — from print bed to finished panel. Every step is real, unscripted, shot in our San Diego studio.
Inspect the Void Pulse — Interactive 360° View
Drag to rotate the finished VOID PULSE bag below. This is the actual artifact built in the video above — Cosmic Black hex shell with Royal Purple accent, printed on power mesh.
VOID PULSE — 360° Interactive
Drag left/right to rotate. Cosmic Black / Royal Purple.
Step 1: Parametric Design — Engineering the Pattern
Traditional bags start with a paper pattern. Ours start with parametric design.
The hex-lattice geometry — our signature interlocking hexagonal panel structure — is engineered with precision. Each hexagon is sized, spaced, and angled by parameters we control: panel count, wall thickness, flex zones, hardware mounting points.
Why hexagons? Three reasons:
- Structural efficiency. Hexagons distribute force evenly across the surface. No stress concentrations. The same geometry bees use, and for the same reason — maximum strength with minimum material.
- Flex control. By varying wall thickness between hexagons, we control where the bag flexes and where it stays rigid. The body flexes; the base stays solid.
- Visual density. The repeating hex pattern catches light differently at every angle. Under UV or blacklight, the glow-seam effect between hexagons becomes the defining visual signature of the bag.
The design is output as a 3D model ready for slicing — engineered geometry, not hand-drawn patterns.
Step 2: Materials — PLA Meets Power Mesh
We print in dual-color PLA — two filament colors running simultaneously on our Bambu Lab printers. We use both the P1S and the H2D depending on the design. The primary color forms the hex shell. The accent color fills the seams and internal channels. For single-color designs, we run one filament — dual color printing is used when the design calls for it.
But here's the thing that makes our process different from almost every other 3D-printed bag brand: we print directly onto power mesh fabric.
Power mesh is a 4-way stretch nylon-spandex fabric used in dancewear and athletic apparel. It's breathable, strong, and — crucially — it bonds mechanically with the PLA during printing. The first printed layers melt slightly into the mesh fibers, creating a permanent mechanical bond. The result: a rigid hex-lattice shell that's permanently fused to a flexible, breathable fabric backing. No glue. No sewing the shell to a liner.
This unique fusion of PLA and power mesh is what makes the hexagonal pattern both flexible yet durable — the mesh allows each hex cell to articulate independently, while the PLA provides rigid structure.
Material Safety & Quality
All materials we use come with Material Safety Data Sheets (MSD/MSDS). PLA (polylactic acid) is derived from renewable resources like cornstarch and is one of the safest thermoplastics available — non-toxic, food-contact rated, and biodegradable under industrial composting conditions. We source from verified suppliers with full documentation on material composition and safety handling.
This isn't fast fashion made from mystery materials. Every component is traceable, documented, and chosen for both performance and safety.
Step 3: The Print — 14.5 Hours on the Bed
Each front panel prints for approximately 14.5 hours on our Bambu Lab printers (P1S or H2D, depending on the run). For dual-color prints, the printer switches between two filament colors on every layer. The power mesh fabric is tensioned on the build plate with custom jigs that keep it flat and taut through the entire print.
What can go wrong:
- Mesh shift. If the fabric moves during printing, the hex pattern prints offset. We lose the entire panel.
- Adhesion failure. If the first layer doesn't bond properly to the mesh, the entire print lifts and warps.
- Color bleed. Dual-color printing requires clean purge transitions. If the nozzle doesn't fully purge between colors, you get contamination in the accent channels.
When a print succeeds — which is most of the time now, after months of dialing in the process — the panel comes off the bed as a single integrated piece: rigid hex shell, fused to fabric, in two colors.
Step 4: Hand-Finishing — Where the Machine Stops and the Maker Starts
This is where Kyle's craftsmanship comes in. After the panel comes off the printer, it needs human hands.
- Detailing. Prepping the panel's connecting sections for assembling the finished product.
- Edge cleanup. Making sure any extra mesh fabric is removed and finishing the edges with a soldering tool.
- Surface inspection. Each hexagon is checked for layer adhesion, color accuracy, and structural integrity. If a hex has a visible defect, the entire panel is rejected.
After the panels pass inspection, they are ready for the next phase of assembly.
Step 5: The Finished Panel & Next Steps
What comes out of this process is a rigid hex-lattice shell, fused to power mesh. This front panel takes roughly 16 hours from print start to completion: 14.5 hours of print time plus about 1.5 hours of hand-finishing and detailing.
This is only the front panel. In upcoming blog posts, we will show how the other sections and panels are built and assembled into the final product.
That's the process for the front panel. No shortcuts, no outsourcing, no pre-made shells. Code to printer to hands.
More Colorways Coming Soon — Help Us Name Them
We currently have 9 named colorways in the shop, with more combinations being finalized. Some of our newest colorways don't have names yet — and we want you to name them.
Here's one we've been sharing on our socials. Drag to rotate it, then tell us what you'd call it:
Unnamed Colorway — What Would You Call This?
Drag to rotate. Head to our Instagram to submit your name suggestion.
Browse The Collection
Browse the current edition — named colorways, numbered pieces, made to order in San Diego.
We'll be recognizing contributors who help name our colorways — details on the form of recognition coming soon. Follow us on social to participate and get behind-the-scenes content:
JOIN THE REGISTRY
Priority transmission and artifact drop alerts.