Multi-colour 3D printing: is it worth paying for?

A few years ago, multi-colour printing at home meant expensive, fiddly machines. Now four-colour systems are bundled with printers that cost a few hundred pounds, and the results look fantastic in listings. Whether it is worth paying for depends on what you make, and on how you feel about waste.

How most home systems work

Nearly all affordable multi-colour systems use a single nozzle. A separate unit holds several spools, typically four, and feeds whichever colour the current layer needs. Bambu Lab sells its AMS lite as a combo with the A1, and as an add-on for the A1 mini; the Flashforge AD5X has its four-colour IFS system built in.

At every colour change, the printer retracts the old filament, loads the new one, and pushes plastic through the nozzle until the old colour is gone. That purged plastic is waste. On most machines it comes out as a small blob or strip, and the printer may also print a “prime tower” beside the model to make the transition clean.

The real costs

• Waste. Every change purges some plastic. A model with a handful of changes wastes little. A model that changes colour on every layer can throw away more filament than the model itself uses.
• Time. Each change takes time, so a multi-colour print can take far longer than the same model in one colour.
• Money up front. Combo bundles cost noticeably more than the printer alone.
• Space. Add-on spool units sit beside or above the printer.
• Another thing to go wrong. More filament paths mean more places for a spool to tangle or a brittle filament to snap. Owners of some systems report that brittle filaments break in the feed path.

Where it is genuinely worth it

• Signs, labels and lettering, where colour is the point.
• Toys and figures for children, who will care about colour far more than layer lines.
• Automatic spool switching, which lets a long print carry on from a second spool of the same colour when the first runs out.
• Soluble or easy-release supports in a second material, on systems that support it.

The free alternatives

Pause at a layer. Almost every slicer can insert a pause at a chosen height. The printer stops, you swap the filament, and it carries on. For lettering that stands out from a base, or a logo on a coaster, this gives crisp two- or three-colour prints on any printer, with almost no waste.

Print in parts. Print each colour as a separate piece and glue or clip them together. This is how many display models and cosplay props are made anyway.

Paint. For figures and props, a primer and acrylics beat filament colour changes for detail.

So, is it worth it?

If you already know you want colourful prints, and especially if children are the main users, a multi-colour combo is a lot of fun and worth the premium. If you mainly want practical parts, skip it: buy the printer alone and put the difference towards filament. Many printers can have a multi-colour unit added later, so check that before you decide.

Our printer reviews note which models offer multi-colour, and how much to spend covers where combos sit on the price scale.

Questions people ask

Is a multi-colour 3D printer worth it?

A multi-colour 3D printer is worth it if you know you want colourful prints such as signs, lettering, toys and figures, especially when children are the main users. If you mostly print practical parts it is not, because the combo costs more and colour changes waste filament and time. Many printers can have a multi-colour unit added later.

How much filament does multi-colour printing waste?

Multi-colour printing wastes filament at every colour change, because the nozzle must be purged of the old colour. A model with a handful of changes wastes little. A model that changes colour on every layer can throw away more filament than the finished model contains.

How does multi-colour 3D printing work at home?

Most affordable multi-colour systems use a single nozzle fed by a unit holding several spools, typically four. At each colour change the printer retracts the old filament, loads the new one and pushes plastic through until the old colour is gone. The purged plastic is waste, and a prime tower may also be printed beside the model.

Can I print in multiple colours without an AMS or multi-colour printer?

Yes. Almost every slicer can insert a pause at a chosen layer height so you can swap filament by hand, which gives clean two or three colour prints for lettering and logos on any printer with almost no waste. You can also print each colour as a separate part and join them, or paint the model.

Does multi-colour printing take longer?

Yes, multi-colour printing takes longer, because every colour change adds time for retracting, loading and purging filament. A multi-colour print can take far longer than the same model in a single colour, and the more often the colour changes within a layer, the larger the difference.

What else can a multi-colour unit be used for besides colour?

A multi-colour unit can switch automatically to a second spool of the same colour when the first runs out, which lets a long print continue unattended. On systems that support it, it can also print supports in a second soluble or easy-release material.