LAIKA Uses 3D Printing for Ultra-Precise Stop-Motion Animations

DARMSTADT, October 22, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- LAIKA, a renowned stop-motion animation studio based in Oregon, has unveiled its upcoming feature film, Wildwood, which is set to premiere in U.S. theaters on October 23, 2026, and in Germany on November 5, 2026. The film is a cinematic journey into an expansive fantasy world, crafted through LAIKA's singular approach to stop-motion filmmaking.

The production of Wildwood has been significantly advanced by the use of full-color 3D printing technology, a collaboration that began a decade ago. LAIKA, one of the world's most renowned stop-motion studios, has been using Cuttlefish®, a full-color 3D printer driver developed by Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD, to achieve the precision and consistency required for advanced color replacement animation in stop-motion filmmaking.

Every subtle smile, raised eyebrow, and emotional expression in Wildwood is shaped by extraordinary artistry, craftsmanship, and advanced full-color 3D printing. LAIKA's Director of Rapid Prototype, Brian McLean, has been instrumental in this process. He discovered Fraunhofer IGD's research on full-color 3D printing through a scientific publication and recognized the software's potential for professional stop-motion productions. Initial test prints with Cuttlefish® demonstrated the software's potential and led to a long-term licensing partnership that continues today.

Cuttlefish® is a software developed by Fraunhofer IGD that converts LAIKA's sophisticated digital 3D models into optimized print data, enabling the studio to produce precisely colored facial expressions that bring its stop-motion characters to life. The software's capabilities are complemented by Stratasys J750 polyjet 3D printers, which LAIKA uses to produce more than 142,000 bespoke facial expressions for Wildwood. These expressions are printed on Stratasys' J750 and J850 printers, each frame up to 24 different faces per second.

The precision in every expression is crucial for stop-motion films, which are created frame by frame. To animate a character's facial expressions, LAIKA uses 3D printing to produce different facial expressions for each frame, up to 24 different faces per second. Even the slightest color deviation or surface inconsistency would become visible in the finished film. This level of detail and precision is made possible by the software and hardware collaboration between LAIKA and Fraunhofer IGD.

Founded in 2005 and based in Oregon, LAIKA is an award-winning animation studio and Certified B Corporation driven to tell bold, original stories that stand the test of time. The studio's five previous features - Coraline, ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls, Kubo and the Two Strings, and Missing Link - received Academy Award nominations in the Animated Feature Film category. Wildwood, the studio's most challenging and ambitious production to date, continues this tradition of innovation and artistry.