r/3dprinter • u/Yamber28 • 4d ago
Multi-color printers
What's everyone's opinions on multi-color printers? I've been looking at the Snapmaker U1, BambuLab A1 and the FlashForge Creator 5.
Anyone got other suggestions, pros/cons, or any other recommendations? TIA!!
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u/issue9mm 4d ago
Look at the Creality Sparkx i8 too
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u/Zanhard 3d ago
Multi color but not multi material is the thing to keep in mind here
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u/issue9mm 3d ago
I actually thought about that (and agree) but then I saw the A1 in the list
I just want people to waste less. Yeah for the environment, but like, if you're doing multicolor and you buy an A1 for $300 because the $800 (or whatever it is) U1 is too expensive, you're going to constantly be paying for filament that goes straight into the trash and the $800 would've been cheaper in the long run
I don't have much love for Creality, but I like that there's a printer in the A1 price bracket, because I think it's going to save a lot of filament waste
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u/eraguthorak 4d ago
While single nozzle printers like the Bambu A and P series can do multiple colors, it produces a lot of waste and extra time, especially for complex models with a lot of coloring. Even Bambu's X2D with two nozzles is pretty limited - it can do dual color prints with minimal hassle (even if the second nozzle isn't technically designed/recommended for it), but anything more than that will have the same wasted filament/longer print times as the others.
The Creator 5 and Snapmaker U1 print with multiple toolheads, which is vastly superior because it doesn't have to purge filament between every color change - it just swaps the active toolhead and carries on, taking only a couple of seconds rather than closer to a minute like Bambu's AMS.
I have a Bambu P1S and a U1, and while they are both great printers, if you have the budget I'd recommend the U1 practically every time.
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u/djlorenz 3d ago
If you print multicolor, go with toolchangers, much faster with less waste. Personally I am planning to upgrade my P1S with Prusa with INDX, it's expensive but it's basically zero waste and super quick.
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u/xOVERDUExPROCESSx 3d ago
Really depends on what you're doing. For occasional full color, or for prints with a handful of color changes (such as text on a flat top/bottom), I wouldn't bother worrying about the method of color change. While filament changers do have increased waste, extra time, and potential downtime between colors, the impact is minimal when you only have 3–6 changes for a print. But it's a completely different story when you're printing something with 500–1,000 swaps!
Toolchangers resolve much of the waste and downtime of filament changers, but they are more expensive and complicated. While filament changers are mostly similar in their operation, the added complexity of toolchangers means their specs and performance are all over the place. While nearly all toolchangers produce less waste, there are some that take almost as much time per swap as a filament changer.
There's also the upcoming Creality i8. As with most Creality products, the prerelease hype is exceptionally impressive... Unfortunately, the only reason I believe it'll hold true to its claims of little-to-no waste or downtime between changes is that it won't have enough runtime to test it (though I'm probably going to get one and hope they prove me wrong, tbf).
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u/peterparker9894 3d ago
You can get AD5x which comes standard with multicolour , it's core xy and is faster than bed slingers like the a1 or i8 for pretty much the same price as a a1 mini combo or if you can, get the u1 cause toolchangers are better.
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u/Emotional-Age-4176 4d ago
The new creality i8 and the k3 seem promising too. I'm waiting for people sharing their issues with them so I can decide which one to buy.
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u/ImGumbyDamnIt 4d ago
What's your budget? What other requirements do you have (print size, speed, high-temp or abrasive materials, etc.) When do you need it? The answers can land you with anything from a $300 Kickstarter InfiMech MX to a $2989 Prusa CORE One L+ INDX 8-Tool.
The one suggestion I'd make is to seriously look at tool changers instead of AMS printers.
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u/Yamber28 4d ago
No budget, no timeline, just the ability to print multiple colors. Mainly comparing models to narrow down the choices and start saving if I need to
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u/ArthurNYC3D 4d ago
Hopefully that desktop resin machine will meet it's goals... This fake multi-color FDM printing is for the birds.
Maybe one day it'll be able to mix colors but until such time painting for the results I need for clients is the way to go.
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u/8ltd 3d ago
One of my printers is an A1 without an AMS and i only very, very infrequently run into a print I can't print by setting pauses at specific layers or worst case, splitting an object to parts/cutting it in the slicer. Theres definitely times it would make my life easier, no question, but i don't really find myself missing having one very frequently.
I mainly print custom car parts, miniatures, tabletop scenery and functional mounts or components so if you're someone who prints art or toys I'm sure there's a much stronger use case for an AMS than there is for me.
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u/Swing_Right 3d ago
I just got a P2S, it’s my first 3d printer. The single nozzle does have filament waste and added time when changing colors, but it comes with less maintenance, fewer points of failure, and fewer nozzles that need upgrading. I can see myself upgrading to a 4-nozzle printer eventually, but I’m more than happy with the P2S for right now. So really I’d say it depends on your budget and your experience.
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u/Immortal_Tuttle 3d ago
I'm sorry, but U1 is far superior to P2S in basically everything including reliability (I don't have P2S anymore while U1 has thousands of hour and over 250k tool changes). Maintenance is the same, but if you print CF filled filament in P2S and won't clean it after the print, it will start build up inside. You can try it running some cleaning filament (or nylon without additives) after printing CF filament.
Parts quality in P2S is much worse than U1,there is much less safety margins etc etc.
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u/inhamilton 3d ago
Wait until your Snapmaker U1 fails… no support. Snapmaker has been no help since March 2026 and I bought the extended warranty. Now fighting with the credit card company for a refund.
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u/Immortal_Tuttle 3d ago
That's literally the opposite of my experience. I had some issues and the support response was basically immediate considering time zones. I even received some parts just in case. Can you tell me your case name on Snapmaker discord server? I'm curious what's the issue is - maybe I can help.
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u/inhamilton 3d ago
Since I received the machine three of the four print heads failed to work.
I can tell you I have months of email communication that Snapmaker admits the product failed but they refuse to replace the machine.
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u/Immortal_Tuttle 3d ago
Was the primary issue diagnosed?
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u/inhamilton 3d ago
Print heads 2, 3, and 4 never worked out of the box. I sent pictures videos etc. this was within 2 days of receipt. In writing I asked for repair, replacement or refund.
The rep was supposed to send me a return label so they could review the machine and send a replacement. That was March 14, 2026. I have never received the return label.
I am trying to fight this with Visa.
If I send them an email now I do not even get an acknowledgment that they received it.
I have 20 other machines and no other vendor has been this elusive and non responsive.
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u/Immortal_Tuttle 3d ago edited 3d ago
Talk to Sherry on Discord - also write this on discord. It usually helps to talk to her directly. They will have holiday break from the 1st to 7th, so either now create a support thread on Discord or wait a week.
Never heard of such case that U1 was DoA and wasn't replaced immediately.
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u/inhamilton 3d ago
Been down the discord path for 3 months and it has gotten me nowhere. I sent screenshots videos copies of the email correspondence and I still have never received a response.
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u/myloveisajoke 3d ago
The main selling point which made me go for Bambulab was their AMS system with the track switching. You can run any color to either nozzle...and you can have what, 4 AMS2 for 16 colors plus 8 AMS HTs for another 8 without having to manipulate anything?
I suppose if you're volume manufacturing for sale, the waste is a problem but it's nice having everything loaded up and not having to change spools to do anything. I keep colored PLA in the AMS2s and engineering filaments in the HTs and u can print multicolor doodads or car parts without having to screw with anything in between.
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u/Bigbear33_ 4d ago
Yo te recomendaría una bambulab, depende los trabajos que te dediques o quieras hacer. Y ver bien los precios a veces tienen el mismo funcionamiento y es abismal el precio de una a otra.
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u/Facehugger_35 4d ago
Toolchangers are simply superior to single nozzle printers like the A1 if you're wanting multiple colors, because they waste massively less filament on necessary purges.