Pokémon Pokopia 3D Printer lets you make a copy of an item you’ve photographed, including objects you’ve spotted while visiting a friend’s world. It uses reference photos and Pokémetal, so you can bring home furniture ideas without taking the original item.
Take an item reference photo, then use it at the printer inside a rebuilt Pokémon Center. The reference-photo album holds 20 images, so keep space for objects you actually plan to copy.
Pokémon Pokopia 3D Printer: How to take a reference photo
The camera has separate modes for scenery and items. For printing, switch to the item reference mode and wait until the object’s name appears before taking the photo.
- Find the item you want to copy, either in your town or while visiting another player’s world.
- Press the − Button to open the camera.
- Press Y to switch to the reference-photo camera mode.
- Point the camera at the object and wait for its item name to appear on the screen.
- Press A to save the reference photo.
If the item name isn’t on screen, adjust your aim or move closer. A normal landscape picture won’t work with the Pokémon Pokopia 3D Printer; you need a recognised item reference.
You can save up to 20 reference photos. If you’re visiting a friend’s town with lots of furniture, check your album first so there’s room for anything you want to bring back as a reference.
Where is the 3D Printer in Pokopia?
Head back to your own world and enter a rebuilt Pokémon Center. The printer is on the left-hand side as you enter. Walk up to it and press A to begin making a copy.
The printer is available at rebuilt Pokémon Centers. If your Center is still in ruins, finish rebuilding it before looking for the machine.
Once you’re inside, look immediately to the left of the entrance for the Pokémon Pokopia 3D Printer. You can follow our Pokémon Center rebuilding guide if you haven’t completed that job yet.
A Pokémon Center in Pokopia. The Pokémon Pokopia 3D Printer is inside a rebuilt Center, to the left as you enter. Official game image: The Pokémon Company
How to print a copy using Pokémetal
Once you’re standing at the printer, the game shows the reference images you’ve saved. You choose the item to reproduce and pay its listed material cost. Different copies can require Pokémetal or rare Pokémetal, so check the price on the printer before you confirm.
- Enter your rebuilt Pokémon Center and approach the printer to the left of the entrance.
- Press A to open the printer.
- Select the reference photo of the item you want.
- Check how much Pokémetal or rare Pokémetal the printer asks for.
- Confirm the exchange to create your duplicate item.
A reference photo doesn’t give you the item for free. The Pokémon Pokopia 3D Printer still charges the listed quantity of Pokémetal or rare Pokémetal, depending on what you’re copying.
Can you copy items from a friend’s world?
Yes. A friend’s town is one of the best places to find furniture and decorative ideas you haven’t come across in your own world. During a multiplayer visit, switch the camera into item reference mode, point it at an interesting object and capture its name.
Back home, that photo lets you request a duplicate from the Pokémon Pokopia 3D Printer. Your friend keeps the original, and you pay the material cost of your own copy.
If you’re collecting ideas for several habitats, prioritise the pieces you’re missing. You can only keep 20 reference photos in the album at once, and each item still has its own printing cost.
Does the 3D Printer copy paint patterns?
No. Since the version 2.0.0 update, Smearguru can learn paint patterns from reference photos of items. That’s separate from printing a physical item copy using Pokémetal.
For a paint pattern, use Smearguru’s photo feature. For a duplicate item, use the Pokémon Pokopia 3D Printer. Both involve reference photos, but the results are different.
Why isn’t my photo showing at the printer?
If the Pokémon Pokopia 3D Printer isn’t showing your picture, start by checking whether you took it in the correct camera mode. Pressing the camera button alone doesn’t guarantee you’ve made an item reference: you need to switch modes with Y and see the item’s name before saving.
If your photo is saved, return to a rebuilt Pokémon Center and press A at the printer. If the item appears but you can’t make the copy, check whether you have enough of the requested Pokémetal or rare Pokémetal.
The Pokémon Pokopia 3D Printer process comes down to the correct photo mode, a rebuilt Center and the materials shown on screen. Once those are in place, you can make a copy without moving the original object.
Official source: The Pokémon Company’s item reference-photo and 3D Printer instructions.
