Creating Multi-Color 3D Prints

Design and export multi-color models using CADit's color system and 3MF export for multi-material 3D printing.

Creating multi-color 3D prints

This guide walks through creating a design with multiple colors and exporting it for multi-material 3D printing.

What you'll accomplish

You will create a design with distinct colored sections and export it as a 3MF file that your slicer can use to assign different filaments to each color.

Prerequisites

  • A multi-material 3D printer or a printer with an automatic material system (AMS)
  • A slicer that supports 3MF files with color data (PrusaSlicer, Bambu Studio, OrcaSlicer, or similar)
  • Basic familiarity with drawing shapes in CADit

Steps

1. Plan your color regions

Before drawing, decide which parts of your design will print in different filaments. Each distinct color in CADit becomes a separate material assignment in your slicer.

Consider:

  • How many filaments your printer supports
  • Which areas need to be visually distinct
  • Whether overlapping colors will require careful layer ordering

2. Draw shapes with different colors

Option A: Standard drawing mode

  1. Select a drawing tool (Rectangle, Pen, Freehand, etc.)
  2. Click the color picker in the context menu at the bottom of the screen
  3. Select your first color from the palette
  4. Draw the shapes for that color region
  5. Change to a new color and draw the next region
  6. Repeat for each color in your design

Option B: Doodle Mode (recommended for layered designs)

  1. Enable Doodle Mode from the toolbar
  2. Select a color and draw shapes for that layer
  3. Switch colors to draw shapes on different layers
  4. Use the layer panel on the left to adjust heights for each color group

Doodle Mode automatically organizes shapes by color and handles overlap ordering, which works well for designs where colored regions stack on top of each other.

3. Set heights for 3D extrusion

Each shape or layer needs a height value for 3D printing.

In standard mode:

  1. Select a shape with the Transform tool
  2. Adjust the height in the shape properties

In Doodle Mode:

  1. Locate the layer in the layer panel
  2. Enter a height value (in millimeters) for that color layer

4. Preview in 3D

Switch to the 3D panel to verify your design:

  • Check that colors appear as expected
  • Verify that overlapping shapes interact correctly
  • Confirm that holes cut through as intended

5. Export as 3MF

  1. Open the menu
  2. Select Export 3MF
  3. Choose a location and save the file

The 3MF file preserves each color as a separate component that your slicer can map to different extruders.

6. Import into your slicer

  1. Open the 3MF file in your slicer
  2. The slicer displays each color as a separate object or component
  3. Assign filaments to each color in the slicer's material or extruder settings
  4. Slice and print as usual

Result

Your slicer shows the design with each CADit color mapped to a filament slot. When printed, each color region prints with its assigned filament.

Tips

  • Limit your colors to match your printer's capabilities. A design with 6 colors requires 6 filaments or material changes.
  • Use contrasting colors while designing to clearly see boundaries between regions, even if you plan to print in similar shades.
  • Test with a small design first to verify your workflow before committing to a large print.
  • Shapes with the same color combine in the export. Use this to your advantage by giving disconnected regions the same color if they should print with the same filament.

Troubleshooting

Slicer shows unexpected number of materials

Check your design for colors that appear similar but are slightly different. Each unique color value creates a separate material assignment. Use the color picker to ensure shapes that should match use the exact same color.

Colors appear merged in the slicer

Verify that overlapping shapes have different colors assigned. Shapes with the same color are grouped together during export.

Holes are appearing as separate materials

Shapes marked as holes in CADit do not export as separate parts. If you see unexpected material assignments, check whether a shape is accidentally marked as a hole (indicated by a crosshatch pattern on the canvas).

Next steps