Multicolor print

[blecheimer 9]

Since some time I am working on printing logos and badges with more than two colors and only one hotend. This is the result:

Printed on an UM1 with a heated bed (works on blue tape as well)

Maybe some of you want to try simple multicolor prints, too. So, this is how I do it:

First split your CAD model according to the colors. E.g. one STL for blue, one for red, one for white and so on. The models for each color should be 0.2mm heigh. Only the last color you will print can be as high as you want.

Slice them and then print the first color:

Do not remove the result from your bed!

I am using these settings:

Layer height: 0.1mm

Retraction: on

Z-Hop on retraction: 0.3mm

Fill: 100%

Initial layer thickness: 0

No skirt, brim or raft

As the model ist only 0.2mm high two layers will be printed.

Print the next color and use the same setting as for the first color. Like the first print only two layers will be printed.

If you are using more than three colors, just repeat this step.

White is my last color. It covers up all other colors. This can be as high as you want. Mine is 1.5mm

These are the settings for the last color:

Layer height: 0.15mm (what you like)

Retraction: on

Z-Hop on retraction: 0.075mm

Fill: 100% (what you like)

Initial layer thickness: 0.3

You may use a skirt

If everything went right this might be the result:

It is not perfect - my nozzle is still leaking black ABS from an earlier print. But it is good enough to decorate my toolbox.

Just some more multicolor prints - try it, it's fun!

 

[hreedijk 4]

Real nice explenation !!!!

 

[ultiarjan 1,223]

Hmmm. nice, but I'm on a UM2, how would I keep the bed heated in between colors ?

Best option is probably to combine the Gcodes and include a pauze ... ?

 

[3dmaker4u 0]

Well, since you are there anyway to change the filament, you can manually command, but definitely a pause (preceded by a head move) will definitely be better and all the codes (though sliced separately) could be "cleaned" (remove unwanted/unnecessary instructions) and assembled together.

Very interesting idea!

 

[gr5 2,172]

I've done some quite a few of these myself - your prints are very nice.

One of the key things from blecheimer is that the white portion (the part itself) must have a much thicker bottom layer than the initial one layer prints - from above:

 

Initial layer thickness: 0.3

 

which is significantly thicker than his .1mm layers of the other colors. Note also that his white part (e.g. the circle) above does *not* know about the text such that it just prints a "flat bottom" on top of the text/colors.

I did the same thing. There is no need to avoid the colored areas - the filament just flows in and around the letters.

Some of my work:

 

[gr5 2,172]

By the way, the Z-hop idea is clever. I should try that next time. I didn't use that feature myself.

 

[pm_dude 27]

Very nice

 

[DidierKlein 729]

Very nice prints i should try this at least once, thanks for the clear explanation

 

[pm_dude 27]

That or when your swap filament you push the filament for long enough to clean the nozzle.

[blecheimer 9]

Exactly - I just manually prime my hotend until the right color shows up.

This is way easier than printing something just to get the old color out...

 

[stu_le_brew 42]

really impressive idea, can't wait to try it

 

[pm_dude 27]

Makes me think I should make a Prime plugin. This way you can prime the nozzle every time you change object or after a pause.

I often get a set of objects with a lot of under extrusions while others are all fine...

 

[gr5 2,172]

I do an "atomic method" or "cold pull" on ALL filament changes. So there is no need to prime until you get the right color. All of the old color is removed completely.

I do this even if I might end up using the same color on the next print. Sometimes I'm just cleaning up and putting things (filament) away.

 

[entomophile 9]

OK, what am I doing wrong? The nozzle starts extruding before the print, then it prints nothing for the first layer. It goes through the motions, but nothing comes out of the nozzle. The nozzle is not clogged. What should my setting be for the bottom/top thickness? My other settings are as described in blecheimer's post. Is there another setting I need to change? In cura, I can see two solid layers so I think the .stl file is OK. Not sure what is going wrong.

 

[zumfab 3]

These look great. I definitely need to try this sometimes.

 

[pm_dude 27]

Your bed leveling might be too close to the nozzle blocking the material from flowing normally.

[entomophile 9]

Your bed leveling might be too close to the nozzle blocking the material from flowing normally.

 

No, that's not it. I made prints of other objects before and after trying these settings and everything was fine. It has to be something in my Cura settings. Or maybe my stl file? But the layers look fine in Cura.

[pm_dude 27]

What version of cura do you use? What are your settings? Could be a new bug with initial layer height at 0

[gr5 2,172]

You need to give more information. Is this "no filament extruding" happening right on a filament change? Are you rehoming when you switch colors? I mean you should be printing a whole new print for the second color, right?

First of all I don't use the "change filament" procedure. I just pull it out and push it in. That way I can also make sure to prime it. And the second part I print has a nice skirt to get the filament flowing before it starts on the primary bottom layer.

I think what's happening with you is your feeder skips back when you start the print and it takes a while to get going again. Hence the skirt.

 

[gr5 2,172]

Maybe you should make a short video of what you are talking about. With sound so I can hear the extruder motor.

 

[entomophile 9]

What version of cura do you use? What are your settings? Could be a new bug with initial layer height at 0

 

It's Cura 14.09. All settings are as recommended (see pix). I have tried bottom/top thickness at 0, 0.1, and 0.2. None worked.

 

GR5 - I haven't even gotten to a filament change. I print an object just fine with default settings and clear the object. Then I immediately try to print the first layer of my multicolor print and the nozzle extrudes some filament before starting the print as always (plenty of PLA comes out). Then the print head goes through the motions, but no PLA is printed on the bed. So I try to print a different file with the defaults and it prints just fine again. It is not an extruder or filament problem.

 

OK, this may shed some light on the problem. I have a 0.2 mm stl file for my first layer. I figured I would try to print it with the quick print defaults to see if the file was OK. In Cura, when I check the scale, the object is indeed 0.2 mm high. When I choose the low quality print it says it will print in 2 minutes and I get one layer in the layer view. If I change to the normal or high quality defaults, it says it will print in 0 minutes and the object disappears from the virtual build platform.

 

[jackjoseph 0]

Example files?

[SandervG 1,521]

Very cool idea and very well executed!

[JohnFox 25]

What a clever idea!

[kolia 31]

I've done some quite a few of these myself - your prints are very nice.

One of the key things from blecheimer is that the white portion (the part itself) must have a much thicker bottom layer than the initial one layer prints - from above:

 

Initial layer thickness: 0.3

 

which is significantly thicker than his .1mm layers of the other colors.  Note also that his white part (e.g. the circle) above does *not* know about the text such that it just prints a "flat bottom" on top of the text/colors.

I did the same thing.  There is no need to avoid the colored areas - the filament just flows in and around the letters.

Some of my work:

 

@gr5 I see that the glass clips are printed flat so that you get the colored name/letter on it, but since it clips on a glass edge it means it has 2 "legs" behind, no? Did you print it with support?