Wallace & Gromit's Eyes Were So Specific That LEGO Had To Develop New Printing Tech

LEGO has developed a new method for printing on a small curved 1x1 dome element for the upcoming LEGO Ideas 21371 Wallace & Gromit set.

Designers selected the dome piece for Wallace and Gromit's eyes because it most closely matched the characters' appearance, even though the element had not previously been designed to take printed graphics.

The change is one of several engineering adjustments made for the Wallace & Gromit set. Instead of using traditional flat LEGO eye pieces, the design team chose the domed element to reflect the look of the Aardman Animations characters.

Because the 1x1 dome was not originally intended for printing, LEGO introduced a new process to apply graphics to its curved surface.

LEGO Faced a Wallace & Gromit Eye Dilemma

According to LEGO designers Tom Gerardin and Ellen Bowley, the team quickly recognised that the small dome was almost perfect for recreating Wallace and Gromit's eyes. Its rounded shape closely resembles the distinctive eyes used on the original clay puppets.

But there was a catch. The element could not initially be printed, meaning designers faced a choice between changing the shape of the characters' eyes or finding a way to put the necessary graphics onto the curved surface.

Instead, they chose the more complicated option. Gerardin explained during a designer roundtable that the team developed a new printing process that allowed graphics to be applied to the curved dome.

The decision was driven by the importance of getting the characters' proportions and appearance right rather than simply using an existing flat eye piece. That decision could ultimately have implications beyond this single set.

Why Wallace & Gromit's Eyes Had To Be Right

Wallace and Gromit's eyes are among the most recognisable elements of the characters' visual design. The pair's exaggerated, rounded eyes are a defining feature of the stop-motion style, making them particularly important when translating the characters into LEGO form.

Gerardin said the familiar flat tiles could have worked, but the designers felt that the dome was a much better match for Aardman's characters. The team reportedly kept the flat pieces as a fallback option while engineers and graphic designers experimented with ways to print on the curved element.

Bowley said the graphic designer tried numerous approaches to make the printing work before the team was satisfied with the result. The final product is intended to make the finished LEGO versions look considerably closer to their animated counterparts.

A Tiny Piece With Bigger Potential

The breakthrough could prove useful well beyond Wallace and Gromit.

The 1x1 dome is a relatively new LEGO element and has already been used in other contexts, including as a small button in the LEGO set 76300 Arkham Asylum.

Being able to print directly onto its curved surface could open up new possibilities for future LEGO designs.

That could include everything from character eyes and facial details to tiny control panels, buttons and other specialised decorations. A seemingly tiny detail on a Wallace & Gromit model has potentially resulted in a new tool for LEGO designers.

When Does the Wallace & Gromit LEGO Set Go on Sale?

The LEGO Ideas 21371 Wallace & Gromit set is scheduled to launch on 1 October 2026. The set will be available with a recommended price of £89.99 in the UK, €99.99 in Europe and $99.99 in the US, with pre-orders already available.

The set marks the first LEGO Ideas interpretation of Wallace and Gromit and brings the inventor and his dog into LEGO form. While fans may initially be drawn to the overall build, the tiny printed eyes could prove to be one of its most interesting details.

The technology also demonstrates how much work can go into apparently simple LEGO elements. For Wallace and Gromit, getting the eyes right was not merely a question of choosing the correct piece.

LEGO designers effectively had to teach a previously unprintable dome how to become part of the characters' faces. In the world of Wallace and Gromit, where small visual details are crucial to the characters' appeal, that extra effort could make a visible difference.