A few years ago, multi-color printing took the 3D printing industry by storm.
With the introduction of MMU and similar systems, 3D printers began producing full-color models without users ever picking up a paintbrush.
Articulated rainbow dragons, perfectly color-matched minifigures… they popped out everywhere.
While the results no doubt look stunning, technically they are “just” a result of printing one material – usually PLA – using different systems, each with varying amounts of print waste.
Multi-Color vs. Multi-Material
With the right gear, 3D printers can go a huge step further!
They can mix not only **colors** of a single material but also combine entirely **different materials**, producing unique, multi-property prints in one single go.
The Hardware Hurdle
First, let’s take a look at what equipment you need to blend multiple filaments with different properties in one model.
Though multi-color and multi-material printing may look similar, their hardware requirements are quite different.
When mixing different colors of, say, PLA, a single extruder and nozzle can handle the job pretty well.
The printer simply switches one filament for another, cleans the nozzle, and continues. Temperatures and other parameters remain the same.
Why Single Nozzles Fail with Multi-Materials
Take, for example, a hinged model that combines Prusament PETG and TPU.
PETG needs a nozzle temperature of 250°C, while TPU requires 225°C.
And there are other material-specific settings, such as flow rate or cooling.
Combining them all with a single extruder is a huge challenge that would require extensive manual G-code edits, and even then, the results might not be ideal.
Toolchanger is the Way
So, what do you do when one extruder isn’t enough? You add more!
To make your multi-material print an A+ success, each material needs its own extruder, tuned to the specific requirements of that polymer.
So far, the most efficient and reliable system to deliver such results is the Toolchanger.
The Toolchanger system, like the one on the Original Prusa XL, consists of separate tool heads (five in the XL’s case), each with its own nozzle and extruder.
A motorized unit fetches a tool head, prints the layers for that material, docks it, fetches the next tool head, and repeats the process.
This way, materials get switched incredibly fast, with each toolhead providing perfect print conditions for its material.
The Magic of Mixing Materials
While multi-color 3D printing usually serves an aesthetic purpose, multi-material printing is mostly functional.
It allows you to create models with unique features that single-material prints could only dream of.
You can blend rigid and flexible filaments, expensive materials with cheap ones, conductive with non-conductive plastics… all in one print.
With smart modeling, you won’t have to assemble anything post-printing;
all the complex components are already built in. This reduces labor, alignment issues, and even the number of failure points.
Let’s take a look at three of the most popular examples.
Use Case 1: Supports – Done Smart
Unfortunately, not every model can be printed without supports. Say you’re printing intricate car parts out of Prusament PA11-CF.
PA11-CF’s excellent resistance comes at a higher price, meaning the discarded supports can become quite costly.
With a multi-material 3D printer, you can simply load a cheaper PETG, use it for supports, and reserve your advanced filament for the car part only!
Perfect Finishes with Soluble Supports
Multi-material supports can also produce perfectly smooth finishes. You can use material pairs that don’t adhere well (like PLA/PETG) so they peel right off.
Or, you can go a step further and use a soluble material like PVA.
Once the print is done, simply toss it in water and watch the supports disappear.
Use Case 2: Flexing the Possibilities
Probably the most widespread material combination is a mix of rigid filaments (PLA, PETG) and flexible ones (such as TPU).
In these prints, TPU often serves as tough, yet flexible “connective tissue” between solid parts.
You’ll see it used for box hinges, anatomical model joints, or semi-closed holes for cables.
TPU is not only flexible, but also remarkably tough. Using it as the top layer for otherwise solid objects makes them easier to grip, more comfortable to hold, and gives them non-slip properties.
You can “rubberize” your designs: tool handles with a firm grip, tweezer tips that won’t slip, stable phone holders, and much more.
Use Case 3: Advanced Shell, Basic Insides
Advanced filaments often provide greater strength and resistance, but this comes at a higher cost.
Luckily, the entire model often does not need to be made from, say, PCCF through and through.
You can design it so that only the necessary outer perimeters are printed from your high-performance material, while the rest of the model is filled with a more affordable filament.
Save Big on Advanced Materials
This technique requires some testing to get the ratio right, but printing only the *shell* in an expensive material while using standard PLA or PETG for the *infill* can save considerable printing costs in the long run.
Will it Stick, Though?
One more thing worth mentioning when mixing filaments is proper adhesion.
Since each polymer has a different composition, sometimes the chemistry just isn’t a match, and the layers don’t adhere as they should.
If they just won’t stick, all is not lost! PrusaSlicer offers a feature called **Multi-Material Interlocking**, which binds filaments by creating a cross-hatched boundary between them.
It’s all automatic: just click one checkbox, and the slicer takes care of the rest.
More Materials, More Possibilities
Multi-material printing is the next big thing in the 3D printing industry.
With new functional materials emerging (conductive, ESD-safe, biocompatible), you get countless opportunities to combine different properties in a single model.
You can say goodbye to gluing, welding, and complicated assembly.
What Kind of Machine is Needed?
To unlock the possibilities of functional, multi-property parts, a printer must overcome the hardware hurdle of handling different materials.
The most effective and reliable solution is a Toolchanger system, which dedicates an entire tool head to each material.
The Original Prusa XL is built entirely around this principle, making it uniquely equipped to handle complex multi-material prints with speed and precision.
