(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
Prusa Research has announced a new open-source ColorMix engine for both PrusaSlicer and its web-based EasyPrint slicer, joining Snapmaker and Bambu Lab in the race to see who can best implement “Full Spectrum” color printing. Prusa Research recently went into detail on its development in a video and blog post.
(Image credit: Prusa)Full Spectrum is a method of visually blending FDM filaments to create an endless color palette. The technique is gaining popularity with the rise of toolchangers and similar multimaterial 3D printers. The method works best when you print at ultra-thin layer heights, which toolchangers can achieve with relative speed and minimal waste.We doubt that color mixing will replace having individual spools of precise color anytime soon. Besides the extra time, Full Spectrum colors can exhibit rather obvious banding, especially when using opaque materials. But it can create subtle shades and hues that are otherwise difficult to find. On the Benchy’s below, I used the same 75% white with 25% purple. The boat on the left used a translucent “high speed” white, which blended much better than the standard opaque white on the right.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)We tested ColorMix on a 3D Benchy using a Prusa MK4 with an MMU3, and it took over 7 hours to create a 66-gram purge tower. On a Prusa XL toolchanger, the time was reduced to 2 hours and 46 minutes, with only 22 grams of waste. Prusa’s new INDX should be able to increase print speed while reducing waste to nearly nothing.Originally developed by Radu (aka Ratdoux) using OrcaSlicer and a Snapmaker U1 toolchanger, his technique is very much like HueForge’s color painting. While HueForge images are super thin and meant to be viewed from the top down, Full Spectrum can be applied to ordinary models and is best viewed from the side.
