Printing in multiple colors

jpalterman

I can get the printer (A5) to pause and retract the extruder on the X/Y/Z axis, what I can't do is change the filament.  I'm printing a trophy and would like to print the text in a different color.  Anybody with a solution?  I've tried to use the menu for changing filament, but it just hangs, and the extruder menu hangs also.  I don't want to use a marking pen to color the text. 

Samuel Pinches

Welcome @jpalterman !

If you can pause it, and move the head out of the way, can't you change the filament manually then? Press the (very very stiff!!) button on the extruder to release the pressure on the filament, and then manually withdraw the filament, and then manually insert new filament?

Samuel Pinches

You may also like to check out these threads:

https://jgmakerforum.com/discussion/518/pause-at-z-layer

https://jgmakerforum.com/discussion/589/change-filament-gcode-script

jpalterman

Since the A5 doesn't respond to GCode M600 (and a lot of other Gcode - a very serious defect in the OS), I find the layer that I want to change the color at when I slice the object, compute how many layers the Z-code will report on and the time to get there.  Set my timer for 15 minutes or so less, then wait...  Press Stop/Pause and can change filament using the OUT/IN buttons, works every time.  The head moves out of the way automatically, then when Resume is pressed it returns to where it left off.  It may be the long way around to do something, but it works.