3D Pilot
← Back to guides
Heavygeneral

Color Printing: Multi-color and Gradient

Techniques for multi-color and gradient prints, from simple color swaps to automated multi-material systems.

⏱ Estimated time: 13 min

Color Printing: Multi-color and Gradient image

Procedure

1

Color Printing Techniques

From simple layers to advanced techniques.

🎨 Overview of Multicolor Printing Methods

Four Ways to Print with More Colors

AMS / MMU = automatic | M600 swap = manual but free

Multicolor printing doesn't necessarily require expensive hardware. It depends on how many colors you want and how large the model you're printing is.

AMS (Bambu Lab)
Up to 4-16 colors automatically | Purging tower | The simplest workflow
MMU3 (Prusa)
Up to 5 colors automatically | Purging tower | Open-source
Manual Swap (M600)
Any printer | Pause in layer | Unlimited number of colors
Color Painting (Slicer)
Bambu Studio / PrusaSlicer | Painting colors on a 3D model directly

  • Advantages of AMS / MMU3: Fully automatic swap without user intervention. Ideal for complex models with many colors. Disadvantage: the purging tower wastes filament.

  • Manual swap (M600 / Color Change): Slicer inserts a pause in a specific layer. The printer waits, you replace the filament manually. Works on any printer but requires presence.

🖌️ Preparing the model for multicolor printing

How to Set Up a Model for Multicolor Printing

Color Painting in Bambu Studio = the fastest way to multicolor printing

Multicolor printing is prepared in a slicer or directly in CAD. The choice of method depends on the model and the available slicer.

  • Color Painting (Bambu Studio / OrcaSlicer): Paint colors directly onto the 3D model in the slicer using a brush. Slicer automatically assigns extruders to regions. The fastest method.

  • Multi-Part model (PrusaSlicer): Export the model from CAD as multiple bodies (one STL per color), or as 3MF with assigned extruders.

  • Layer Color Change (M600): In the slicer, add a Color Change on a specific layer. Simple for horizontal stripes and gradients.

  • 3MF format: Save multicolor projects as .3MF (not .STL) - stores information about colors, extruders and print settings.