The 3D Printer is one of the most powerful tools in Pokemon Pokopia. It lets you duplicate almost any placeable item by photographing it and spending Pokemetal. Once unlocked, it drastically reduces the grind for building multiple habitats that share common furniture and terrain items.
How to Unlock the 3D Printer
- Reach Environment Level 3 in any region by increasing your comfort and habitat count.
- Complete the quest to rebuild the Pokemon Center (requires Onix's Bulldoze specialty).
- The 3D Printer becomes available inside the rebuilt Pokemon Center.
How to Use It
- Photograph an item — Walk up to any placed item in the world and press Y to take a photo. The item is now saved in your photo catalog.
- Visit the 3D Printer — Go to the Pokemon Center and interact with the printer machine.
- Select a photo — Browse your catalog and choose the item you want to copy.
- Pay the Pokemetal cost — Each item has a fixed Pokemetal price. Confirm to print a copy into your inventory.
Best Items to Copy
| Item | Cost | Why Copy It |
|---|---|---|
| Sprinkler | 4 Pokemetal | Automates watering for crops and berry trees. Saves daily manual effort. |
| Berry Tree (any) | 1 Rare Pokemetal | Produces 1 berry/hour (max 3). Multiple trees let you farm berries passively. |
| Streetlight | 2 Pokemetal | Required for several illuminated habitats. Expensive to craft otherwise. |
| Campfire | 2 Pokemetal | Needed for Drifloon, Charmeleon, and Charizard habitats. Build multiples. |
| Storage Box | 2 Pokemetal | Extra storage is always useful. Place near crafting stations. |
| Workbench | 3 Pokemetal | Having a portable Workbench for each region speeds up building. |
Items That Cannot Be Copied
- Soil and terrain blocks (dirt, sand, grass tiles)
- Ore blocks (copper, iron, gold deposits)
- Raw berries (fruit items) — only berry trees can be copied
- Paint (already a processed material)
- Quest-specific key items
Multiplayer Photograph Trick
Here is a useful trick for players with online access: when visiting another player's island in multiplayer mode, you can photograph items that you have not yet crafted or obtained yourself. The photo is saved to your catalog, and you can then print copies of that item back on your own island.
This is especially helpful for items locked behind late-game recipes or items from regions you have not unlocked yet. Just visit a friend who is further along and snap photos of everything useful.
Tips
- Pokemetal is earned from daily challenges, Dream Islands, and recycling with Recycle-specialty Pokemon.
- Photograph every unique item you come across — even if you do not need copies now, having the catalog entry saves time later.
- The printer works for colored/painted items too — copy a painted chair to get another chair in the same color.
- See the Berry Guide for details on farming berry trees with the 3D Printer.