【3D Printing Tutorial】How to perform dual-color printing using Ultimaker Cura?
Cura, the slicing software officially launched by Ultimaker, has become the most widely used 3D printing slicing software globally. Due to its richer features and automation, to help everyone use its various functions more conveniently, this tutorial will guide you step-by-step on how to set up dual-color printing in Cura!
．Three key steps:
1. Select part color and nozzle
2. Combine objects
3. Slice and save for printing
Isn't it super simple? Below, we will use a dual-color drill as an example, follow along step-by-step! First, export your 3D printing objects into separate STL files in your modeling software, according to the two colors you desire (it is recommended that the origin points are the same). Then, simply drag and drop the files into the Cura slicing software. (Further reading: How to export STL/OBJ files from various 3D software)
Next, let's set the individual material colors. Click on nozzle 1 and nozzle 2 at the top to 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 will use yellow PLA for nozzle 1 and black PLA for nozzle 2. Except for PVA water-soluble support using the BB nozzle, all other materials should use the AA nozzle.
But it doesn't look dual-color yet, right? Don't worry, after setting the colors for both nozzles, click on the objects you want to assign colors to, and then click the nozzle icon in the bottom left corner to 3D print the corresponding objects with the desired colors.
Next, after setting the desired colors, hold down "Shift" to select both objects, then right-click and choose "Merge Models".
And that's it, super simple, right? Then just click "Slice" in the bottom right corner to process it, just like you would for normal 3D printing. 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 for 3D printing at the top to ensure there are no issues with the actual print. Once confirmed, you can save and proceed with 3D printing.
As you can see, a "prime tower" for dual-color printing has been added to the back of the drill, which allows for more perfect 3D printed objects. The setting for dual-color printing is usually automatically enabled; 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 exclaim: Teacher! My colors are different! No worries, please click on "Color Scheme" in the top left corner and change the display function to "Material color," and it will show the closest result to the actual print!
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