【3D Printing Tutorial】How to Perform Dual-Color Printing with Ultimaker Cura?
Cura, the slicing software officially launched by Ultimaker, has become the most widely used 3D printing slicer globally. Thanks to its rich features and automation, to help everyone utilize its various functions more easily, this tutorial will guide you step-by-step on how to set up dual-color printing in Cura!
．Three Key Steps:
1. Select part colors and nozzles
2. Merge models
3. Slice and save for printing
Isn't it super simple? Below, we'll use a dual-color drill as an example, follow along step-by-step! First, export your 3D printing objects into separate STL files based on the two desired colors in your modeling software (it's recommended that the origin points are the same). Then, simply drag the files into the Cura slicing software. (Further reading: How to export STL/OBJ files from various 3D software)
Next, we'll set the individual material colors. Click on nozzle 1 and nozzle 2 at the top, which will open the material settings panel. After selecting the material and color, the nozzle color block will change to the selected color! For this example, we're using yellow PLA for nozzle 1 and black PLA for nozzle 2. Except for PVA water-soluble support which uses a BB nozzle, all others should use an AA nozzle.
But it doesn't look dual-colored yet, does it? Don't worry, after setting the colors for both nozzles, click on the object you want to assign a color to, then click the nozzle icon in the bottom left to 3D print the corresponding object with the desired color.
Next, after setting the desired colors, hold down "Shift" to select both objects, then right-click and choose "Merge Models."
And that's it, it's really that simple! Then, just proceed with "Slice" at the bottom right, as you would for regular 3D printing, to perform the calculation. Please note that in the new version of Ultimaker Cura, you cannot adjust parameters while slicing; otherwise, the adjusted values will be lost. It's recommended to set everything up first and then slice.
Finally, remember to switch to the "Preview" interface at the top of the 3D print to confirm if there are any broken surfaces in the actual print. Once confirmed, you can save the file for 3D printing.
As you can see, a "Prime Tower" has been added behind the drill for dual-color printing, which allows for more perfect 3D prints. This setting for dual-color printing is usually enabled automatically; if you wish to disable it, simply uncheck "Enable Prime Tower" in the settings window on the right!
At this point, some of you might notice: "Teacher! My colors are different!" No worries, please click on "Color Scheme" in the upper left and change the display function to "Material Color" to show the closest result to the actual print.
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