Coloring in embossed or recessed text
I have been using embossed (or sunken in) text in my Fusion 360 designs, but I needed a way to fill them in with a color to make them pop. I don't have an MMU to print multiple colors. I bought a syringe pack and tried to carefully inject paint into the recessed text, but that didn't work at all. The paint was absorbed by the print and it made a total mess.
Then I tried rubbing paint over the text, but that didn't work, it just made the whole thing white-ish.
Then I found some of my kids modeling clay next to their paints and tried rubbing that into the recessed text, and it worked great. When I was googling around for ideas, nobody mentioned modeling clay. I bought some at the 99 cent store and you get 12 colors for a dollar.
You rub it in, then go over it with your finger or a paper towel to remove the excess. I'm posing a couple of pictures here of the result.
The Bear logo is printed in yellow PLA, but the text is filled in with yellow modeling clay. You can't really tell the difference.
I downloaded the side mounts off thingiverse, but the cross-bar I made myself in Fusion 360 to match the screwdrivers I had. Here, the modeling clay shows up a bit too much in the perimeters around the text. Maybe if I printed the bar with the text facing up it would look better, I'm not sure.
RE: Coloring in embossed or recessed text
Seems like an out of the box idea but should you want to climb back into the box there are a number of techniques to print the text in contrasting filament.
Easiest way to to use layer color change built into Prusaslicer. Only work with raised rt embossed lettering.
Also you can setup a pseudo MMU by adding more than one nozzles. Gives a nice flat top or bottom layer.
Or you can use two layer colour changes to put two layers of contrast at the bottom of the cut-out and then return to the body colour to complete the print. You get a stylish stripe around the sides at that level as a bonus.
Cheerio,
RE: Coloring in embossed or recessed text
Doesn't doing a layer color change require MMU?
You can do a manual colour change at any time with Pause Print followed by Unload, Load and Resume...
You can program them in in PrusaSlicer by clicking at the height required on the scale at right of the preview view followed by the '+' button. This is what I am suggesting you do.
You can even mimic the MMU and do hundreds of manual filament changes for a complex model ...
A simplified version of this is discussed in these threads:
https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/prusaslicer/manual-multicolor/
This is geting fairly advanced so if you are new to 3D printing approach with caution.
Cheerio,
RE: Coloring in embossed or recessed text
Just a small addition to Diem's remarks, it's not immediately obvious but you have to slice the part before you can add layer colour change.
RE: in embossed or recessed text
Emboss= stamp a design on the surface of an object so that it stands out in relief
Deboss=stamp a design into the surface of an object so that it is indented.
Embossed text is easy. Just a color change in Prusaslicer's preview.
For debossed text I often use diem's idea of a couple of colored layers, then back to normal. But sometimes you don't want that stylish stripe or the colored text should be flat against the surface, not debossed or embossed. Towlerg and diem have pointed you in the right direction: pretend to have an MMU and do manual color swaps instead. Here's an example, similar to your first picture: https://www.prusaprinters.org/prints/51471-dual-color-lcd-cover-for-mk3s-no-mmu-required
The two main issues with it. First, preparing the model is a bit more involved as you need to model the text as a (or several) different bodies. But in Fusion 360, that's not hard. Second, manual color swaps get old very quickly. Two colors, two layers, not a big deal. Multiple colors over multiple layers, tedious, to say the least. But it's a great way to produce simple multi-color prints.
Having said that, doing it your way is quite ingenuious!
Formerly known on this forum as @fuchsr -- until all hell broke loose with the forum software...
RE: Coloring in embossed or recessed text
Embossed text is easy. Just a color change in Prusaslicer's preview.
Same for deboss (thanks for the correct word) just set first layer that doesn't have text as a different colour. In most CAD's whether you raise the text of lower it is trivial.
RE:
That looks great
I try not to complicate things, a marker works great for me in most cases
a marker works great for me in most cases
Painting and other post processing is largely neglected on these pages. Instead of a few seconds tidying their prints many users go to ridiculous lengths to get a cosmetically 'perfect' print. Each to their own of course but ten minutes with sandpaper and needle files followed by a painting session will usually give a superior result.
Just using markers straight onto a print does risk the ink wicking into the lay of the filament and leaving a blurry mark, a quick spray with primer should be enough to prevent this. For better results use enamel modelling paints.
Cheerio,
RE: Coloring in embossed or recessed text
I've found painting to be very difficult and unforgiving.Modeling clay, on the other hand, is really easy to squish into the debossed text and it cleans up great, just run your finger over it to collect the extra clay. I think my pictures show that you can get really nice results with clay, but with paint, it was a total disaster for me.
Here's a test piece demonstrating the three printing methods mentioned here.
Attached is the gcode if you want to try it, sliced for generic PLA & 0.4m nozzle.
It prints in 8 minutes, after 5 minutes it will prompt for a filament change; use something contrasting, then a minute later it will ask for a second change, go back to the first filament.
Cheerio,
RE: Coloring in embossed or recessed text
@jlorenzi that is brilliant! If I was to try it I would do it with modeling paste colored with acrylic paint and a palette knife to scrape off the excess as those are the tools and materials I have used, but same idea. I paint my prints with an airbrush which gives beautiful gradients, but your idea would give me a different effect with hard clean lines.
Mk3S+,SL1S
RE: Coloring in embossed or recessed text
Hopefully, Prusa finally releases an MMU that isn't so finicky and then I'll happily be printing multi-color. This whole problem exists because I don't want to invest the time it takes to get successful prints with their current MMU solution.
then I'll happily be printing multi-color. &
I don't want to invest the time it takes to get successful prints with their current MMU solution.
You're missing the point. It's reasonably easy to get the MMU printing multi-*colour* - but I didn't buy mine for that, I can do all the colour changes I need with the methods discussed above. It's multi-*material* that's difficult and exceedingly wasteful. Try making a PETG chassis with PLA gears, FLEX shock absorbers and PVA separation and the MMU grinds to a halt while the wipe tower grows to massive, exceedingly expensive, proportions.
Cheerio,
RE: Coloring in embossed or recessed text
Hopefully, Prusa finally releases an MMU that isn't so finicky and then I'll happily be printing multi-color. This whole problem exists because I don't want to invest the time it takes to get successful prints with their current MMU solution.
Just my 2 cents but I suspect there is something inherently wrong with current MMU methodology (and I suspect putative new versions, although it would appear that careful tuning and a bucket of virgins blood applied by the light of the summer solstice might make it work) which is why Prusa appear to be going with a tool changer design. Of course, same problem with duplicated extruders.
RE:
Hi Deim, I'd like to try your lettering demo but I can't use your GCode (alas no MK3), any chance you could also post the .STL?
BTW there is another variation that you missed (perhaps intentionally) that doesn't rely on layer colour change. The fist layer is made up of a number of object which are the text and the background. The advantage being that it gives a smooth surface with no ins or outs to trap grime see here
there is another variation that you missed (perhaps intentionally) that doesn't rely on layer colour change.
Yes, I believe I contributed to that thread, that (simplified) is effectively what the centre 're' part of the sample code does.
post the .STL?
OK. I posted the gcode to save readers a slightly complicated (for those new to it) slice.
There are two .stls; you need to declare two extruders, disable the wipe tower, then load the two stl's together. PS will allow you to treat them as a multipart object and assign each to a different extruder. When it is time to switch extruder an an M600 code should prompt your printer to request a colour change.
Cheerio,
RE: Coloring in embossed or recessed text
I tried your suggestion of using modeling clay and it worked very well indeed. One question, did you spray lacquer (or anything else) over afterwards or did you just leave the clay "as is"? How do you prevent it from rubbing off/out when handling the item?
