Choosing and running a 3D printer
Do You Really Need a Multicolor 3D Printer, or Will a Single-Color Machine Do?
Summary
Get a printer bundled with an automatic filament changer if color is part of what you're making: two-tone logos and lettering, or parts told apart by color. If most of your prints are one color, a single-color printer does the job. Every color change means pushing out and discarding the old filament (a purge), so a multicolor print uses more material and takes longer than the same model in one color.
Filament changers by brand
| Printer | Unit | Colors |
|---|---|---|
| Bambu Lab A1 | AMS lite | 4 |
| Bambu Lab A1 mini | AMS lite (included in the Combo; the full AMS isn't compatible) | 4 |
| Bambu Lab P1S | AMS | Up to 16 with four units stacked |
| Anycubic Kobra S1 | ACE Pro | 4 in the Combo, 8 with two units |
| Creality K2 Plus | CFS | 4 slots per unit, up to 4 units for 16 colors (the Combo ships with one) |
On September 23, 2026, Anycubic's sale prices were $401 for the Kobra S1 on its own and $459 for the four-color Combo.
Bambu Lab's material table marks TPU as incompatible with both the AMS and AMS lite, because soft filament doesn't pass through the feed path well. TPU gets loaded by hand.
What a color change costs
At each color change, the printer clears the previous color out of the nozzle before it carries on. OrcaSlicer, a free slicer, can do that purge inside a model's infill instead of dumping it, and its documentation says this "may lower the amount of waste and decrease the print time."
Sources
- Bambu Lab — Best 3D Printer for Beginners (A1 and AMS lite)
- Bambu Lab — A1 mini
- Bambu Lab — P1S
- Bambu Lab Wiki — Filament Guide (material table)
- Anycubic — Kobra S1
- Creality — K2 Plus CFS Combo
- OrcaSlicer Wiki — Flush options
Specs and prices are as published on these pages on the date above and can change; check the manufacturer or retailer before you buy.