Introduction: Dual Color 3D Printing

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About: Robotics and Manufacturing Student at RIT. I try to accelerate learning through projects when I have the time. Haven't had much to share in the past few years, but hope to soon!

Some 3d printers are capable of printing in dual color. However it works a little differently.

Step 1: Things to Avoid

  • Overlapping colors confuses slicer and sometimes crazy stuff happens
  • If color is not properly supported it will droop as shown in picture

Please let me know about anything else I should add

Step 2: Check Your Slicer Capabilities

Make sure your slicer can read dual color obj and stls. In some software you need to split up the file into multiple parts.

If not there is a work around.

Alternative

This is probably better for projects with a large file size as well

  • create a square of 4 .01-.02 mm circles around the object and save colors separately both with all 4 circles
  • Load into slicer and align

Step 3: Slicing

In some slicers it is very simple like cube print in others it is a bit harder

Simplify3d

I would recommend using the alternative method to create your file. Instructions are for alternative

  • Bring files in
  • Center them on bed
  • Go to "Tools"
  • Then "Dual Extrusion Wizard"
  • Pick where colors go
  • Hit prepare to print
  • Make sure to hit "Select All"
  • Hit "ok"
  • Save

Cube print

Only for cube 3 Just grab and drop colors

Possibly adding cura not sure how well it will work have not tried it yet

Step 4: Printing

Justs send file to printer like normal.

Prints will take much much longer since the printer needs to swap colors several times and that takes around 30 seconds each time.

Please check out my dual color creations

Halloween Pencil Holder in Tinkercad

Dual Color 3d Printed Image