How to print in two colors with a single extruder – Cura Ultimaker

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Using a slicing software like Cura Ultimaker you can modify the GCode file so that at the right time, you can manually change the filament. This way you can print two or more colors with a single extruder, always using one color per layer.

With this method you can pause your 3D printer at a certain layer height, so you can (manually) change the filament for a different color.

open cure ultimaker and import the file

Once you have Cura open, what you need to do is open the File you want to print.

Then configure your favorite print settings or if you don't have them yet, I invite you to visit my “Best Cura setups for beginners“

If you want you can download a sample file by Thingiverse.

Select the layer height at which the filament change will be performed.

In order to proceed to the next step, you must know which exact layer you want to change the filament on.

You can do this from the Preview tab, sliding the layer column.

Important: the layer where you should change the filament is the one where the front is different from the background. For example “white background and black figure“Do you understand?

In the case of the example (if you downloaded it), the filament change would be done from layer number 5 (using a 0.4 nozzle and the settings provided above)

Modify the GCode.

Go to the menu bar and select the following options: Extensions > Post Processing > Modify Gcode and press Add sequence command > Pause at height

In this window you will configure in which layer you want the printer to stop, the amount of filament you want it to retract and the temperature at which you want the nozzle to stay.

• Pause at you are going to choose “layer number“.
• pause layer you are going to put the layer number you want it to stop (It would be layer 5 according to the example)
• Retraction is the amount of filament to retract when paused. (25mm)
• Extrude amount the amount of filament to be extruded after the filament has been changed. (25mm)
• Redo Layer if you want the last layer to be printed again (but with the new color). (do not check, because in the case of the example I would print the base again and it would be black)
• Standby Temperature It is the temperature at which the printer will remain waiting for the filament to be changed. (190 °C)

Close the window and save the file to your printer's SD card.

put to print.

After the printer has started printing, will stop on the layer you have chosen and the filament will retract so that you change it.

After changing it, you will notify the printer from the menu to continue printing with the new color. Remember that it will extrude a certain amount of filament that you will have to remove so that it does not cause problems.

If you were successful, you will have been able to print in two colors with a single extruder using Cura Ultimaker.

I leave you with a very explanatory video that I found on YouTube where you can see the printing process.

Video on YouTube: Blito 3D

In this video you can see that the “ option is usedfilament change“You can try this option if you want, but does not work on all printersI have an Ender 3 and it hasn't worked for me, meaning it printed everything in the same color.

Outside of that, it seems to me a fairly explanatory video and focused on the Cura configurations, which is what we need to see.