Printing a single layer of text on a top surface in a different colour to body
I'd like to print small body of text in - say - white filament on, or rather in, a body of black. The text is part of the top surface snd sits in sinlge-layer-thick recesses which are a tiny bit bigger than the text, so that the two remain separate, the idea being that when the print is finished, the top surface is flat and the text looks part of it, albeit being white. I have Mk4S and Coreone printers, with single filament output. I can't afford to buy an MMU before anyone suggests it! I think that what I need is to make sure that the gcode that writes the text is continuous at the end of printing the black body, so is there a way to 'force' PrusSlicer to make that text gcode contiguous? Fairly obviously, I need to change the filament before the text gcode starts but I don't want to be changing back to black, then white, then black again etc., to get the job done. Any ideas?
RE:
Have you tried this already? In my (limited) experience, PrusaSlicer is pretty smart and will minimize filament changes without further instructions. You can even use inlaid text on two successive layers, and it will print that inlay color last on the initial layer, then first on the following layer.
Just add the text with Add Part > Text, then choose "Modifier" as the Operation, and select "Change Extruder" in the context menu. (Which is probably what you were planning anyway?) In the Printer settings you will need to set the number of extruders to 2 and check "Single extruder, multi material" to enable the "Change Extruder" option.
A single layer is almost always disappointing 'though for practical purposes two is usually enough.
... but it's an old problem and there are several threads addressing it; most of these refer to the Mk3 but the procedures remain valid for later printers.
https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/prusaslicer/manual-multicolor/
Cheerio,
RE: Printing a single layer of text on a top surface in a different colour to body
Many thanks for your guidance, chaps - I'll have a play with your suggestions and report back.
RE: Printing a single layer of text on a top surface in a different colour to body
You mean something like this? 
The main plate on this is printed in three colors without an mmu -- it has decals at the top, 1mm down, and 1.4mm down. Each decal is 2 layers thick. (note: you can get much sharper images if you use a smaller nozzle but I found the .6mm nozzle worked best for printing clear PETG, so I compromised). When I get some of that mythical free time everyone keeps talking about, I will likely do a proper tutorial on this, but in the meanwhile, some Coles notes on how to do this in Prusa slicer:
* In Prusa Slicer, on the top right, select `Expert mode`
* Go to the `Printers` tab. Under Capabilities, increase `Extruders` to 4. Check the `Single Extruder Multi Material` box. Save the printer for future use
* (suggestion:) Go to the `Print settings` tab Under Wipe tower, turn the wipe tower off.
* Go back to the `Plater` tab.
* On the right you'll see a list of filaments. Click on the color box of one of them, and change to a unique color so what you do is visible. You can also click on the gears to change the filament type, etc.
* Create STL's for your object and text (alternatively you can also create the text in the slicer itself, but I'll let you figure that one out if you want to do it).
* Go to the Add (ctrl-I), and select BOTH the STL for your main object and for your decal at the same time. You should get a dialog box saying "multiple objects were loaded ...". Click on yes.
* Alternatively, load your object, and once it's selected, right click on it, and go to `Add Part`, `Text`. Add the text. It should appear in a group under under your main object.
* On the right hand side of the screen under the objects, check that your decal is _underneath_ the main object being printed. If two objects intersect, only the lower object will be printed in the intersection
* Slice it, and double check that the layer(s) that need the special color are there.
When the printer hits the place where it wants to print the new color it will automatically pause and start beeping at you. Simply change the filament, an you will get good results.
RE: Printing a single layer of text on a top surface in a different colour to body
Wonderful John - the nail has truly been hit right on the head! I'm off to try it out now......
RE: Printing a single layer of text on a top surface in a different colour to body
If possible when doing something like this (Manual-MMU), I prefer to put the text/logo against the print bed for a couple reasons. First, I think the flat (or textured depending on build plate) surface looks better than top surfaces of a print. Second, I can get the "wait for the printer" part of Manual-MMU done early in the print and if I screw up I haven't wasted too much filament yet. But, with everything else, YMMV.
Here is how I added colored text to the parts for my MK4S->C1+ conversion (printed on the MK4S before disassembly):
https://www.printables.com/model/1554234-core-one-power-and-nfc-cover-color-manual-mmu-prin
I include not only the 3mf file for others to take apart to see my technique, but a generalized description of the steps that I took to prepare the 3mf that should be a decent guide for replicating the results in other slicers/other printers.
See my (limited) designs on:
Printables - https://www.printables.com/@Sembazuru
Thingiverse - https://www.thingiverse.com/Sembazuru/designs
RE: Printing a single layer of text on a top surface in a different colour to body
You mean something like this?
The main plate on this is printed in three colors without an mmu -- it has decals at the top, 1mm down, and 1.4mm down. Each decal is 2 layers thick. (note: you can get much sharper images if you use a smaller nozzle but I found the .6mm nozzle worked best for printing clear PETG, so I compromised). When I get some of that mythical free time everyone keeps talking about, I will likely do a proper tutorial on this, but in the meanwhile, some Coles notes on how to do this in Prusa slicer:
* In Prusa Slicer, on the top right, select `Expert mode`
* Go to the `Printers` tab. Under Capabilities, increase `Extruders` to 4. Check the `Single Extruder Multi Material` box. Save the printer for future use
* (suggestion:) Go to the `Print settings` tab Under Wipe tower, turn the wipe tower off.
* Go back to the `Plater` tab.
* On the right you'll see a list of filaments. Click on the color box of one of them, and change to a unique color so what you do is visible. You can also click on the gears to change the filament type, etc.
* Create STL's for your object and text (alternatively you can also create the text in the slicer itself, but I'll let you figure that one out if you want to do it).
* Go to the Add (ctrl-I), and select BOTH the STL for your main object and for your decal at the same time. You should get a dialog box saying "multiple objects were loaded ...". Click on yes.
* Alternatively, load your object, and once it's selected, right click on it, and go to `Add Part`, `Text`. Add the text. It should appear in a group under under your main object.
* On the right hand side of the screen under the objects, check that your decal is _underneath_ the main object being printed. If two objects intersect, only the lower object will be printed in the intersection
* Slice it, and double check that the layer(s) that need the special color are there.When the printer hits the place where it wants to print the new color it will automatically pause and start beeping at you. Simply change the filament, an you will get good results.
Did I miss it, or did you forget to mention putting M600 in the tool-change custom GCode? Also, I've never checked the "Single Extruder Multi Material" box. I looked at what it does and didn't know what to do with the extra settings that unlocks (ramming and tip forming). What does this setting do for your workflow? I used to use the extra purge after changing the filament to prime the pressure, but recent a firmware (not sure which one) stopped doing that so I've put the prime tower back in to my workflow. If you are curious to my workflow (including some tricks for the tool-change custom GCode that I use), see the other post I made that has a link to printables.
See my (limited) designs on:
Printables - https://www.printables.com/@Sembazuru
Thingiverse - https://www.thingiverse.com/Sembazuru/designs