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Glossary · Function

3D printing

Multi-colour printing

Add-on devices or printers that automatically switch between several colours or materials during printing.

Explained in more detail

There are two basic principles. Single-nozzle systems, such as AMS from Bambu Lab, MMU3 from Prusa, ACE from Anycubic or CFS from Creality, cut off the filament, swap the spool and purge out the old colour. This costs time and material with every change. Tool changers have a separate nozzle for each material, which greatly reduces waste and time. Printers with two nozzles sit in between: they switch between two nozzles, but often several colours share one nozzle via a filament changer. Many systems also store the filament dry or actively dry it.

Where does the term come from?

The term is self-explanatory. When different materials are combined instead of colours, it is called multi-material printing.

In practice

  • Basic principle: in the slicer you assign a filament to each area of the model, via individual parts of a 3MF file or by painting the surface.
  • If the colour changes only between layers, a pause in the slicer is enough, usually via M600, and you swap the filament by hand.
  • Several colours in one layer need a system: a filament changer with one nozzle, a printer with two nozzles, or a tool changer.
  • The more colour changes per layer, the longer the print takes. Arranging colours layer by layer rather than mixed saves time and material.
  • Several parts on the plate at once share the colour changes per layer and reduce time and waste per part.

Not to be confused

Multi-colour filament with a colour gradient or several colours in the strand is not multi-colour printing in the true sense: the colour changes along the spool, not deliberately according to the model.

Frequently asked questions

Can any 3D printer print in multiple colours?

Layer by layer, yes: with a pause in the slicer and a manual filament change, almost any printer can print several colours on top of each other. For several colours within the same layer you need a filament changer, several nozzles or a tool changer.

How much waste is produced in multi-colour printing?

That depends on the system and the number of changes. With single-nozzle systems, the printer purges at every change, and with many changes the waste can weigh more than the part. With a separate nozzle per material, almost nothing is produced.