Multi-color or multi-material 3D printing involves combining different spools of filament into a single print.Though it’s easier than ever before, the practice comes with a hefty drawback and some other things to keep in mind.Multi-filament printing is wasteful While finished 3D prints that combine different colors and materials can look impressive, they also waste a lot of filament.
This is because switching spools on most printers involves purging “waste” from the hot-end, loading new filament (which also produces some waste), and then repeating the process every time you need to change color.Because of the way that fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printers build objects out of layers, an item that intersperses different colors throughout the print requires a lot of filament changes.This produces a lot of waste on the vast majority of 3D printers that are capable of multi-material printing.
The good news is that your slicer should tell you how much filament you’ll be wasting before you print, so you can get an idea of whether or not hitting print is worth it for you.For example, these watermelon earrings by MakerWorld user jdicerchio use only three colors, but require 19 filament changes.Bambu Studio estimates that a single pair would use only 1.56g of filament, but produce 4.93g of waste.
Interestingly, the amount of waste doesn’t change if you produce more models.So I filled the bed to produce 31 pairs of earrings, and still only had 4.93g of waste (using 45.6g of filament for the earrings themselves).Most slicers make it relatively easy to swap out colors before you send the job to the printer, so you can print multi-colored items in a single filament if you want.
In Bambu Studio, for example, you can either map the different filaments in a model to a single spool, or you can right-click an area and change its color on the model.An AMS-like filament buffer is strongly recommended An AMS, or automatic material system, is Bambu Lab’s name for its multi-spool holder that handles material and color changes automatically.Though it wasn’t the first example of its kind, it’s arguably the most successful.
An AMS allows you to easily create multi-color prints by loading filament into different slots and mapping them correctly within the slicer.You can even connect multiple AMS units to use even more colors in your prints.Other examples of similar systems include Prusa’s MMU, Creality’s CFS, QIDI’s Box, and Elegoo’s CANVAS system (among others).
They vastly simplify the process; you could go as far as saying that multi-color prints aren’t possible without them… but that’s not technically true.It is possible, with enough patience, to insert pause commands into any 3D print and manually change the filament yourself.This might not be so bad for one or two changes, but it’s going to get old fast for more involved jobs.
You also need to make sure the filament is loaded properly and primed to avoid problems with your print.Painting can yield great results (and it’s more fun) There’s more than one way to produce a multi-color print using a 3D printer.Though more involved, painting your models by hand is a more creative and rewarding process for those who enjoy it.
Typically, this involves lightly sanding the model, priming, and then painting carefully to achieve the finish you’re looking for.With enough care, you can get rid of the vertical layer lines that are common with so many prints.Like any creative pursuit, there’s a learning curve to master.
That means you’ll probably get through a few practice models before you’re happy with the result, something you’ll be able to afford to do with all that filament you saved.You can even make use of the filament color in the final design, for example, printing a robot in metallic PLA and sanding down to reveal the underlying model after painting.Check out the r/FDMminiatures subreddit for tips and some truly impressive works of art.
Modern 3D printers minimize waste Minimizing waste produced during multi-filament prints seems to be the hot new thing on many 3D printer manufacturers’ minds.There are some really interesting ways of achieving this, like the Snapmaker U1’s SnapSwap toolhead swapping system, which features four interchangeable toolheads that each correspond to a specific filament.Bambu Lab is also getting in on the action, with the H2D offering dual nozzle support (for two filaments with no waste), and the H2C’s seven color head nozzle changer.
Even Prusa is getting in on the action with the upcoming INDX system which the company positions as an entirely new architecture.Subscribe to the newsletter for smarter multi-filament tips Get expert coverage by subscribing to the newsletter: practical guidance on reducing filament waste, choosing AMS-like systems, painting techniques, and emerging low-waste toolheads for multi-color 3D printing.Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
You can unsubscribe anytime.This is arguably the next frontier for FDM printers, and it’s a welcome change since saving filament means saving money.I don't regret my AMS 2 Pro I’ve only produced a few multi-color prints since getting my Bambu Lab P2S and AMS 2 Pro, and these were simple prints with very few filament changes that resulted in minimal waste.
It’s a nice option to have, and if used responsibly, the waste is tolerable.I’d say that the AMS 2 Pro and similar systems should be on your radar as a 3D printer owner.These make it easy to keep multiple rolls of filament loaded at once, cutting down on the time you spend loading and swapping.
The AMS 2 Pro in particular also functions as a filament dryer.Bambu Lab P2S Build Volume 256x256x256mm Printing Speed 600mm/s The Bambu Labs P2S 3D printer is ready to go out of the box and can have you printing within 15 minutes.It features up to 20-color printing with the AMS unit, has an upgraded built-in camera for remote monitoring and time lapses, and has an enclosed body for printing even high-temperature filament.
$549 at Bambu Lab Expand Collapse Bambu Lab AMS 2 Pro A multi-material system for Bambu Lab printers with active air vent 65°C filament drying, air-tight filament storage, a brushless servo feeding motor, Bambu's signature RFID filament sync, and compatibility with up to up 24-color/material printing by connecting more AMS 2 Pro units.$359 at Bambu Lab Expand Collapse Looking for more tips to get up and running with your 3D printer? Make sure you’re avoiding these rookie mistakes.
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