We've noticed that the User Manual does not really go into detail with explaining how to create dual color prints in Creatr 1.0 "Materialise", so we'd like to provide this solution article.


NOTE: To print dual color in almost any 3D slicing software program, you need more than one .STL; you cannot assign 2 nozzles to print the same .STL (unless one of those nozzles is only printing support material, rafts, skirts, or brims). If you have one .STL file that you would like make parts of a .STL model different colors, there are a few options found on the internet that can cut segments out of an .STL model and save that segment as a separate .STL. However, you can run the risk of damaging the .STL model to where it will not print properly (so use these with the understanding that you could be wasting filament and time). The best option is to design the segments separately, or search for models that have this already done.


MacOSX Version?

Please note that most of these instructions are for the Creatr 1.0 Windows Version; to know how to do this with the Mac version, you can find this information around the 5:10 minute mark of the following Youtube.com video:


(Creatr 1.0 MacOSX tutorial; Pim references setting which nozzle is assigned to which model around 5:10.)

Windows Version (Simple)

For this solution article, we'll first simply take two of the same model and assign them different nozzles.


1) Open Creatr 1.0

2) Load a Platform by clicking New under the Platform section:

3) Import a part (.stl) by clicking Import under the Part section:

4) Make sure that the part is selected and duplicate it by clicking Duplicate under the Position section:

We'll just focus on 2 .STL files for now:


5) When you've analyzed your parts for errors and are ready to move on, click the Print 3D button:

This will open the Submit a Job window. If you normally print with only one nozzle, you most likely not have both nozzles enabled. The Submit a Job window will show you if you have both enabled because here is where you assign which .STL will print with which nozzle:


6) If you do not have both nozzles enabled, click the Preferences button in the top right corner to open the Configure Printer window:

Click the check box to the left of whichever nozzle is disabled to enable it. Now would also be a good time to assign the correct Material Profiles to that extruder. You can even access these profiles and more by clicking the Edit Profiles button in the bottom left corner, if you need to change the settings for these profiles (or those in the "Platform Settings" section of the Submit a Job window).


NOTE: Print Mode will tells what nozzle is going to be doing what. By default, when you enable both nozzles, the correct print mode for printing dual color prints ("PART-PART") is automatically chosen:

The first word is what Nozzle 1 will do (print a PART), and the second word is what nozzle 2 will do (print a PART also). IF you were using dual extruders for one or more .STL, but were going to use nozzle 2 to only print support material (including rafts, skirts, and brims), then you would select "PART-SUPPORT" - this assigns nozzle 2 to only doing support material-type printing. However, for this solution article, we are discussing dual color prints and so we would use "PART-PART."


7) Once you've done this, click the OK button to save and close the Configure Printer window.


8) Finally, you can assign which nozzle you want which .STL model to be printed with in the Submit a Job window, by clicking on the nozzle selection next to the model name:


You can now submit the job however you'd like (to file or printing connected to the PC), and the .GCODE will assign one nozzle to each .STL model.

Two Colors on "One Part"

So as mentioned earlier, you can't actually use 2 colors on one model without designing each colored area as a separate .STL file.

However, it's fairly easy to find some already prepared files online. Here is one example:


The key is to be able to line these two models up perfectly so that when the print head starts printing the second color, it will be in line with the first color.


If whoever designed the original .STL files for this were careful, they created both models on the same X, Y, and Z axes. That way, when you import them into a 3D slicing software, they will line up when told to go to the same coordinates.


Here's the best method to import .STL fiels so that they line up (using up a different set of models):

1) Add a new platform.

2) Go to the Part section and click Import (as mentioned before).

3) In the Import Part window, highlight multiple .STL files at the same time and select the "As Is" option:

The "As Is" option is very important in lining up the models when they are imported; if you use the "Platform Center," it may cause something like this:

(Obviously the white part needs to line up with the orange part.)

The "Aside Of Others" places the parts next to each other.


4) Click Open in the Import Part window to import the two .STL files "As Is." It will line them up perfectly:

Unfortunately, this does not center the parts on the build platform. SO...


5) Make sure that both parts are checked in the Parts panel on the right:


6) Click the Translate button in the Position section at the top:

Enter a value of 135mm in the X Relative Translation field and a value of 140mm in the Y Relative Translation field (leave Z alone in this case). Then click Apply:

Your selected parts should move to the center of the bed without moving out-of-alignment with each other.


Then, you would go on to do the previous mentioned steps of assigning the nozzles to the different parts. Your print should turn out with both colored parts perfectly aligned!

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