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Color change

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CORE ONE family
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PrusaSlicer lets you schedule a filament change at a certain layer. This can be used to print basic multicolored models. The printer automatically pauses the print as soon as it reads the color change in the G-code (M600 command) and prompts the user to proceed with the filament change.

  1. Slice your model normally. A preview will show how the part will be printed.
  2. On the right side, you will see a layer slider. Drag the layer slider on the down to select the target layer
  3. You can either
    1. Left-click on the orange plus icon to add a color change (random preview color)
    2. Right-click on the orange plus icon and select Add color change. A color picker window will appear allowing you to pick the desired color to get a more accurate preview
  4. Repeat, you add as many color changes as you like

You can remove a color change by moving the slider to the target layer and left-clicking on the grey cross icon.

The first color can be edited by clicking on the colored rectangle next to the filament profile name in the top right corner. The colors after the change can be edited by right-clicking anywhere on the colored bar. The preview colors are there just to visualize the final print, they do not affect the generated G-code.

About the color change feature, note that:

  • A preview is displayed instantly so you’ll see exactly how your model will look with color-change. 
  • Use filaments of the same type. Always mix PLA with PLA, PETG with PETG and so on. Mixing materials of different kinds will most likely lead to a failed print as they don't adhere well to each other.
  • The color change doesn't work in combination with Sequential printing.
  • It is also possible to Insert pause or custom G-code at layer.

Color change time estimates

When you add one or more color changes, the Platter legend will switch to "Color Print" mode and show time estimates till each change. Alternatively, you can switch to it manually using the select box "View" in the bottom left.

This lets you plan when to check on the printer to proceed with the color change.

Automatic color change

When PrusaSlicer detects the model looks like a logo or a sign, a notification will offer you to automatically add color changes to the correct heights. This feature was proposed by Richard Horne, thank you for the suggestion! It saves you time and removes the guesswork from inserting the color changes at the right height.

Mute beeper when prompting color change

If the estimated color change time happens to be during the night or another inconvenient moment, you can switch your printer’s beeper sound to [Silent], [Mute], or [Once]. The option to change the sound mode can be found directly in the Settings menu or the Settings -> User interface, depending on which printer you have.

Use color change to print pictures

 

35 comments

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Shortfamily
Is there a way to assign entire parts of a print to each extruder ?
Patrick Clisson
Bonjour à tous
Est il possible de faire un changement de température en même temps qu'un changement de couleur. Je m'explique:
Sur des Hueforge, j'ai un filament qui à besoin d'une température plus haute que les autres mais impossible dans le slicer Prusa de cummuler le changement simultané du filament et de la température. Je loupe certainement quelque chose. Merci à vous
Dschey
Can this color change feature be used with the Prusa XL multitool printer? How do I assign one of the extruders to a specific color so that the printer automatically switches on the defined height to the other extruder? Any suggestions much appreciated.
Jan Kratochvíl

Hello. The process should be the same, but instead of "Add color change", there should be "Change extruder" option.

Dschey
Awesome! I was not aware of this function. Many thanks for the hint :-) 
dorkwin
Cool Function!
miau
Is there an option to see the amount / weight of each filament colour?
I always have to guess and hope the remaining filament is enough.
 
dgarcias asked this already 4 years ago, maybe this option was added in the meantime?
Jan Kratochvíl

Hello. You can find this information in PrusaSlicer after slicing the model.

miau
Where or how?
I only see the whole amount of filament not for each colour (in the corner down right)
Jan Kratochvíl

Please check, if you have the newest version of the PrusaSlicer. I see there is used filament (weight) for every extruder.

miau
Oh, I see the confusion. My version is up to date.But I only have one extruder and change the colour manually (with the slicer option).   I guess it is only visible with mmu then.
Viktor Němeček
Yea, even with single extruder changes, I can see both times and amounts in the popup in the top right corner after slicing is done