NFC Swatch & Holder For DapRack

TL;DR The swatches use a 25mm rewritable NFC coin tag. Any brand will do, no adhesives required, but an example can be found below from Maker's Supply. The swatch design is included on the first plate. There is a pause on layer 10 of the swatch which allows you to embed the tag, then continue printing. Monitor the first layer above the tag for any defects/clumping. Then print the second plate, which is the holder. It comes in two pieces so that supports are not required. The printing tolerances should be tight enough to have a secure fit when assembling the pieces together. Then just fit the holder to the rack and place your swatch into the holder!

Version History

Version 2 (Posted 2025-04-30)

Version 2 aims to prevent collision with drawers when placed above them. This version features a fully redesigned rack mount piece and connection point for improved durability and reliability by making the assembly notches larger and no longer dependent on friction to stay in place. The tag holder is now positioned higher on the mount to allow drawers to pass beneath it freely, but still remain low enough not to impede full spools from being easily stored and accessed.

Version 1 (Posted 2025-01-27)

Version 1 is the original design, derived from ChadMikeInnis's label design. I used it for all the slots on my personal DapRack, and it has worked fairly well. Version 1 is still a viable option if you prefer the look of it, but its shortcoming that Version 2 addresses is that it cannot be used above the DapRack drawers.

Background

I wanted to combine two designs I've been using together, so I now present the NFC Swatch Holder For DapRack! 

I personally print NFC-embedded swatches for all my filament, making it easy to keep track of brand, color, material, and seller information which is all embedded in the NFC tag. By having the tag easily accessible on the DapRack, I just have to tap the swatches on my phone to read information about the filament in the slot, which eliminates the need to pull out the whole spool to see any information written on the sides.

This design does not come without heavy inspiration from others, so I would like to share their contributions for this model:

#1 NFC Filament Swatch

Full credit is due to Tim Traq's design, found here: https://makerworld.com/en/models/798023?from=search#profileId-737447

The NFC Filament Swatch is a highly improved swatch for filaments over normal swatches, as it has a cavity to embed a 25mm Round PVC (rewritable) NFC Tag inside. Having an NFC tag inside the swatch allows the user to write information into the swatch like the brand, material, color, and even URL to the store page it was purchased from.

• To preserve the design of the tag in relation to my holder, I have included it on one of the plates in my .3mf file. From what I understand, this does not violate the licensing of the original, as it was uploaded to the public domain.
• NOTE: There is a pause in the profile at layer 10, which allows you to place the NFC tag. Resume printing when the tag is embedded, and be sure to monitor as it lays down the first layer over the tag. Sometimes the filament can get caught on itself and tangle up, causing a bump to appear on the finished product. Stopping the print as soon as possible allows you to salvage the tag to use again.

#2 DapRack

The second design I wanted to bring together was the DapRack Core - Modular Filament Shelving (particularly the DapRack Labels - Swatch & Name Plates for DapRack) which were designed by ChadMikeInnis. 

• The DapRack Core can be found here: https://makerworld.com/en/models/684394#profileId-613061
• DapRack Labels can be found here: https://makerworld.com/en/models/772466#profileId-708500

In short, the DapRack is an adaptable filament rack solution with a modular design and expansive ecosystem! DapRack is 100% 3D printed without the need for supports, and can be expanded both vertically and horizontally to accommodate your growing filament collection.