Depends on what kind of item it is. There are certain machines that will stamp on a color, then the next color, and so on. It’s evident in some toys when things don’t line up correctly (say, the eye white is in place, but the iris is a little off).
More expensive figures, like big anime figures, are typically hand painted with airbrushing and masking tape in pieces, then put together. Some statue figures are painted in one piece.
Fine details get stamped on by a tampo printer, which uses a silicone dome to stamp paint onto contoured surfaces. Larger areas of color get airbrushed on. A mask (basically a mold of the toy with the areas to be painted cut out) is fitted onto the toy, then it gets airbrushed, either by hand or robot arm.
You can see both processes here – airbrushing at 1:20, tampo printing at 2:36
Latest Answers