The quickest way to find out what a multicolour print costs is to upload it: the quote slices your actual file and shows the price, usually within a few minutes. This page explains what goes into that price, so you know why two similar-looking models can cost very different amounts, and how to bring the price down.
Get an instant multicolour price
What you pay for
A multicolour price has two parts, both worked out by slicing your file:
- Filament for each colour, at that colour’s normal rate. This includes the small amount the printer purges each time it changes colour, to clear out the old colour.
- Print time, at $4 an hour. This includes the time spent changing colours.
Prices include GST. Shipping is a flat $15 per order anywhere in Australia, free on orders of $80 or more. There is no set-up fee.
Why colour changes matter most
A multicolour printer has one nozzle. To switch colour, it unloads one filament, loads the next and purges a little to get a clean colour. That takes a couple of minutes, every time.
So the biggest factor in the price is how many layers need a colour change, not how many colours there are.
- A sign or keyring with a coloured base and raised lettering on top changes colour only once or twice, near the top. It costs little more than a single-colour print.
- A figure with a coloured face, clothes and shoes changes colour on almost every layer, often hundreds or thousands of times. Most of its print time is colour changes, so it can cost several times more than the same model in one colour.
The quote shows how many colour changes your model needs.
Ordering more than one
Copies of the same model print together on one plate, up to as many as fit. The printer changes colour once per layer for the whole plate, so the copies share the colour changes. Each extra copy only adds its own filament and printing time.
For a figure where most of the time is colour changes, the second copy can cost a fraction of the first. The quote shows this as you change the quantity. On top of that, bulk pricing takes 5% off from 10 copies, rising to 50% off from 10,000.
How to lower the price
- Put the colours in layers. Designs where each colour is its own band of height, such as a base, then a middle, then lettering on top, change colour far less often than designs where colours sit side by side on every layer.
- Use fewer colours where they meet. Two shades that are close, such as two greys, can often be merged into one with little visible difference, which cuts the colour changes.
- Print several copies at once. Copies share the colour changes, so ordering three together costs much less than three separate orders.
- Print separate pieces and glue them. For models that come apart naturally, such as a figure on a base or letters on a sign, printing each piece in its own colour has no colour changes at all. Upload each piece to the quote and compare.
- Lower the infill. Decorative models rarely need more than 15 to 20% infill.
- Consider a single colour. For a model where colour is not essential, a single-colour PLA print is usually much cheaper. You can see both prices on the quote.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my multicolour print cost so much more than single colour?
Usually because the colours change on many layers. Each change takes a couple of minutes and purges a little filament, so a model with thousands of changes spends most of its time changing colour. A design with its colours in layers costs much less.
Does each extra colour add to the price?
Not by itself. A colour that is in the file but not used costs nothing, and what matters is how often the colours change, not how many there are.
Is it cheaper to order several copies?
Yes. Copies print together and share the colour changes, so the price per copy falls as you add copies. Bulk discounts apply from 10 copies.
Is the price on the quote the price I pay?
Yes. The quote is worked out from your actual file, and the price in your cart is what you pay at checkout, with shipping and GST shown before you pay.
Can I get a price without uploading?
Every model is different, so the quote needs the file to work out the colour changes. Uploading is free and you do not need an account. See multicolour 3D printing for how it works.