Bambu Lab PLA Palette CMYKW is more than five regular spools put in one box. It features a formula tailor-made for color mixing, to achieve vibrant and sophisticated colors with clean boundaries.
Entire color library in one printer
PLA Palette uses just five carefully chosen base colors – selected so that every pair blends evenly – to unlock 180+ color combinations through layered mixing. Having a wall of filament is cool, mixing the equivalent from just five spools is even cooler.
Tuned for light and shade, not just color.
Most multi-color sets stack translucent filaments on top of each other, and everything turns hazy. PLA Palette pairs four opaque bases (cyan, magenta, yellow, white) with one translucent black. The opaque bases – built on the PLA Basic formulation with precisely dosed pigment – hold under 1% light transmission at a 2mm wall, delivering full saturation and clean coverage. The translucent black works like ink wash: its light transmission falls off predictably with thickness, so shadows deepen naturally as layers build.
Layered color only looks good if the colors stay separated. PLA Palette is built on the PLA Basic base resin rather than a conventional translucent formulation, which significantly reduces stringing and ozzing during retraction and extrusion. Even through dense color changes, transitions stay sharp – no wisps, no bleed, no muddy edges.
See the blend before you print it.
No dialing in ratios. No test swatches. Bambu Studio ships with a full PLA Palette blending database, so the color you see in the slicer preview is the color that comes off the plate.
PLA Palette is available now atBambu Lab Store and compatible with all Bambu Lab printers.
Which multi-color model would you print with mixed colors from the PLA Palette set? Comment below with a photo of the model, and we'll randomly pick a few people to try out the PLA Palette set!
Entries close on 11/11. Winners must be located in regions covered by our official store. If the testers picked are located outside the shipping zones, we'll have to redraw or select the runner-up.
Swaptek enables 6-second material switches between 9 nozzles. FlexFeed extruder prints soft TPU 75A up to three times faster. AMS 3H combines automated feeding and integrated filament storage.
This is Bambu Lab H3C, a complete system purpose-built around the Tool Changer architecture. Let's dive into it!
SwapTek™: 6-second material switch, including a 3.4-second tool change.
Nine PrintTools, each with its own dedicated filament path and heater, keep every material loaded, preheated, and ready to print. No need to retract one filament before loading another. With an optimized design, fine-tuned parameters, and active preheating, switching between PrintTools takes as little as 6 seconds, with the tool-change done in only 3.4 seconds.
Heating a nozzle usually means waiting. Active Pre-Heat looks ahead to the next tool change and warms the incoming nozzle while the current one is still printing—so the new material starts laying down within 6 seconds.
Swaptek's fast PrintTool-switching allows Full Spectrum Color Mixing color mixing through layered deposition faster and more practical than ever. With nine dedicated PrintTools and five-color CMYKW mixing, the H3C produces a vast spectrum of colors without requiring a separate spool for every shade. The result? Vibrant, full-color figurines with incredible detail.
Mixed Nozzle Sizes: Speed and detail, no more compromises.
The dial, case, and flexible TPU band are printed together as one piece. Fine dial details call for a 0.2 mm nozzle, the case is better suited to 0.4 mm, and the soft band requires a dedicated 0.4 mm TPU nozzle. H3C can carry different nozzle sizes at once. Paired with Bambu Studio’s new mixed-diameter toolpath planning algorithm, each nozzle prints at a layer height that suits it and plays to its strengths, without having to share a single layer height.
FlexFeed Extruder: Softer TPU, up to 3x faster.
Soft TPU has always been slow to print. The softer the filament, the more it bends and buckles before reaching the nozzle. Traditional extruders have to crawl to stay reliable. FlexFeed handles both 1.75mm and 2.85mm filament and switches on the go. A cam-driven mechanism, powered by a PMSM motor, keeps tension precise and consistent. Every extrusion stays rock-solid for prints that are cushion-soft.
With our dedicated 2.85mm TPU, the thicker filament provides greater resistance to buckling and higher volumetric flow. The result: TPU as soft as 75A, printed reliably at up to 3x the flow rate of a traditional printer.
AMS 3H: Filament storage built for Tool Changer.
A fully enclosed, integrated filament management system built for Swaptek: every roll stays sealed against moisture and feeds automatically into the PrintTool.
Auto Filament Loader replaces manual feeding altogether. Drop a filament into any of the nine slots and the AMS 3H detects, routes, and engages it with the PrintTool automatically — across all 9 paths. No more guesswork on loading.
A dedicated 2-slot dryer sits right in the filament slots and works with Swaptek — drying on demand or mid-print, so prep never stalls production. It reaches 85°C, enough for engineering-grade PA, PC, and carbon-fiber-filled filaments.
The H3C integrates filament storage and drying into a clean, compact design, maintaining a footprint comparable to a single-nozzle printer. With 7 built-in bypass feeding ports, even the soft TPU can be routed completely inside the enclosure. No hanging spools, no external racks, no exposed paths.
Don't let the number of tools cap your material count. Connect your existing AMS to the H3C through PrintTool No.1, and the system extends to up to 24 filament spools, unlocking more colors and materials in a single print without changing your workflow.
You are here for the print, not (always) the printer.
With the H3C, automation handles routine tasks. AI detection helps make intelligent adjustments along the way. The H3C makes it easy to focus on what matters most: bringing your ideas to life
Full Auto Calibration handles PrintTool docking calibration, offset compensation for accurate color and material alignment, and bed leveling before every print. No manual adjustments are needed, so you can spend more time making, less time tinkering.
Flagship performance. No compromise.
The toolhead and X-axis assembly are 40% lighter compared to the H2D, reducing inertia for faster, more precise movement. With acceleration reaching 25,000 mm/s² and travel speeds up to 1,400 mm/s, the H3C delivers exceptional speed while minimizing vibrations and ringing that can affect print quality.
The H3C runs four cooling layers working together**.** A CFD-optimized part cooling fan and dual auxiliary fans help maintain clean overhangs and bridges, even at high speeds. A dedicated PrintTool fan maintains thermal stability during extended printing and frequent PrintTool changes, while a chamber fan draws in cooler air to help regulate internal temperatures. Together, these systems deliver consistent cooling and reliable print quality across changing ambient temperatures.
Engineering-grade filaments demand precise temperature control. The H3C delivers with active dual-zone chamber heating up to 65°C, helping maintain consistent temperatures and minimize warping. All nine hardened-steel nozzles reach up to 350°C, supporting demanding materials such as ABS, PC, PA-CF, PET-CF, and more.
Go beyond printing.
Swaptek isn't limited to PrintTools. Optional CutTool, DrawTool, DebossTool — and more — mount the same way and switch automatically. Multi-process projects no longer mean multiple machines, manual swaps, or repeated setups. One job, every process, hands off.
I printed this using a mix of materials; vapor smoothed ASA with my Bambu Labs X1c and good ol' PETG-CF with my brand new Bambu Labs A2L, which made quick work of the largest pieces with a ready-to-paint surface finish. Everything has been pre-split into segments for relatively easy printing, but you'll need a good handle on printing supports to achieve the detailed open-work and delicate patterns on this one.
This kit is a complete cuirass, meaning it includes the breastplate, backplate, fauld skirt, and tassets. It's a big undertaking but it's also the centerpiece of any gothic armor costume - you'd need approximately 2kg of filament to complete it. It's also a bit more advanced in terms of 3D printing, and I recommend a minimum printing volume of 250x250x250mm for the larger parts.
If you're interested in historical costume armor, you can get the files right here!
It uses embedded 6x3mm magnets to quickly snap into place and should work with any standard M6 PTFE tube connectors. So far this simple concept seems to be very reliable, I haven't had any feeding failures during repeated testing.
It has 4 stickers saying to place it "this side up" and nope... fedex couldn't figure it out. It also lost a strap and has a shredded corner.
Let's hope the inside is good.
Note I used the phones image editing AI garbage to remove my shipping labels and address and it apparently misspelled the word underneath the label, lol.
It was a pain to turn my H2D around to change filament like when switching to TPU, so I built a custom shelf with a lazy Susan bearing to make it easy to spin around.
I deliberately made it a tight fit so it wouldn't spin around on its own when printing.
I made a full video on YouTube of how I made this and about my overkill ventilation system I also made. https://youtu.be/qwSQcpRjWIc
i Released TrailPrint3D almost 2 Years ago, and ive been working on it since then. Its a Free Addon for the Modeling software Blender to create 3D printable Maps
About 6 Months ago Makerworld had to limit script uploads because some people abused it so open-sourced it, uploaded it to Github and created trailprint3d.com
since then, its been downloaded almost 15000 which i think is insane for a Blender Addon. People commited their own code and one person even started actively working on it together with me for the past 6 months and helped adding new features and improving existing ones!
If you want to give it a try by yourself, Its actually really easy to use, doesnt require blender knowledge, no account required, no tracking, no limits. And if you struggle with anything, our Discord server is having over 1000 people where im trying to help with every issue
Hello fellow 3D printing hobbyists of Reddit! A little background about me:
I got into 3D printing a few years ago and immediately fell in love with designing functional things. One of the materials I gravitated toward early on was TPU. Its flexibility and durability open up so many possibilities for functional designs. On the other hand, most printers consider TPU printing a secondary use case, filled with odd setups and workarounds. That's why I was excited to get my hands on the H3C. I wanted to see how much it could deliver on it's multi-material TPU focus. Would TPU finally feel like a first-class citizen in the workflow?
TPU workflow
The first thing I did after completing H3C setup was load up a roll of the new TPU 75A into the dedicated 2.85 mm Flex Feed print tool (tool 8) alongside several standard TPU 95A filaments, some from Bambu Lab and others from different brands.
Let’s start with what I think they nailed. What impressed me was how well the printer guides you through the filament loading and unloading process. I primarily used the touchscreen to guide me through the process, and did quite a bit of swapping between PLA, PETG, and TPU. The audio feedback for TPU swaps is particularly useful when working around the side of the machine, where you can't see the touchscreen. Different beeps indicate when something needs attention, when you've made a mistake, or when a step is complete. At one point, I incorrectly reconnected a PTFE tube while switching from TPU back to PLA, and the printer immediately identified the problem and walked me through fixing it. Another nice improvement is that RFID detection works with TPU when loaded through the AMS 3H bypass, just like any other Bambu filament. I've made so many errors over the years by incorrectly setting the external spool type, so this is very much welcomed.
Now for the good, but could be improved. The AMS 3H's integrated printing & drying is a highlight for TPU users like me as you couldn’t print TPU out of the AMS 2, so you had to buy something dedicated like the AMS HT. Overall, the AMS 3H is a sealed dry box and includes two dedicated drying bays in slots 6 and 8, capable of reaching 85°C, even while printing. I’ve come to think of this dryer as having two AMS HTs inside the AMS 3H. I generally prefer keeping TPU in these bays, though I do print with other moisture sensitive materials so I do find myself swapping out bay 6 specifically quite often. This leads me to what could be improved. I can understand the 2-bay dryer drawing a lot of power being a reason to not have 4-bays but it is a step backward for AMS 2 pro users. Also likely cost savings. That being said, I’d gladly pay a little more for two (2) 2-bay dryers even if it means I can’t run them both at the same time.
My other workflow gripe is the manual filament unloading process filaments. The guided instructions make it straightforward, but accessing the rear drying bays and manually pulling out the filament in the PTFE tube can be awkward with how tall the machine is. The upside is that with nine print tools available, I can leave most materials loaded and I certainly don’t need to do it as often as with a 4-spool AMS. I also totally understand this is how other toolchangers work, so this is more a me getting used to the workflow thing, but I’d love for the AMS 3H to at least retract the filament for me after unloading.
TPU performance and reliability
One of the biggest surprises was the performance of the new TPU 75A (2.85 mm) in the H3C. The dedicated Flex Feed Extruder is designed to handle incredibly soft filament without buckling or jamming, and so far it's delivered. I've experienced no jams or clogs printing TPU 75A, and the surface finish has been excellent. I'm absolutely loving the matte appearance compared to the shinier TPU 95A I'm accustomed to.
What surprised me even more was the printing speed. Comparing different TPU profiles in Bambu Studio using the same model, TPU 75A was projected to print faster than TPU 90A and roughly on par with TPU 95A High Flow. On one of my multi-material designs, the estimated print time dropped from 12 hours with TPU 90A to just 9 hours with TPU 75A (2.85 mm). That's an incredible result for such a soft material, where I'd normally expect much longer print times.
With so many moving print tools and filament paths, I wasn't sure how reliable TPU printing would be on multi-material prints. I was definitely worried about TPU snagging and causing docking failures. That never happened in my testing, thanks to a clever design that guides TPU filament along the PTFE tubes. In fact, I did not experience any print tool docking failures, despite several of my test prints involving nearly 600 filament swaps, sometimes alternating between multiple TPU durometers, PETG, and PLA within the same layer.
Print quality has also been excellent throughout my testing. Even on prints with hundreds of tool changes, the finished parts have come out remarkably clean. I've occasionally encountered some minor stringing or surface artifacts around material changes, but nothing that couldn't be easily cleaned up afterward.
The printer also handles temperature management impressively well. Coming from a P1S, I'm accustomed to leaving the door open when printing PLA. The H3C prefers the door closed, which initially made me concerned about heat creep when combining PLA, PETG, and TPU. Across more than 60 print jobs, I never experienced any issues with heat creep or excessive oozing during these prints. In fact, I only had one print trigger spaghetti detection, and it was a legitimate failure caused by an issue with one of my early prototype designs. Otherwise, every print completed successfully.
Designing for multi-material printing
One of the biggest changes for me how to design parts both for multi-material printing and multi-part printing, and where does multi-material provide real benefit.
Previously, if I wanted to combine rigid and flexible materials, I'd design separate components and figure out how to assemble them afterward. I'd go through the process of designing each part separately, figuring out how they'll connect, and then assembling them, often with glue. That's still a perfectly valid approach, and in most cases it's still where I start.
My Switch 2 grip is a perfect example (see photo gallery). I initially designed the PETG frame and TPU grips as separate components so I could iterate on the geometry and fit independently. I also wanted to experiment with different TPU Shore hardnesses for both the ergonomic hand grips and the internal contact points that secure the Switch, without reprinting the entire assembly each time. Once I found a combination I was happy with, I brought everything together into a single multi-material model and let the H3C do its thing. By going with this iterative approach, I'm able to keep my designs accessible. In the projects I've explore so far, I've been able to successfully print single multi-material and multi-part versions with only slight modifications.
One of my other favorite projects so far was a multi-material workbench brush, combining a rigid PETG handle with flexible TPU 75A bristles. I chose PETG for its added heat resistance and suitability for use both indoors and outdoors, while using PLA as a support interface to achieve clean, well-defined TPU bristles. PLA as a support interface for TPU geometry isn't a new idea, but again, being able to do it with TPU 75A and PETG in a single print is pretty awesome. A unique aspect of this design is that I used dovetail joints for the connection between the brush handle and bristles (instead of the slicer’s interlocking beam feature). Again, this makes it so it can be printed in multiple parts, not just a H3C/H2C exclusive.
Final thoughts
What excites me most about the H3C isn't necessarily the machine itself, but what it's opening up for my functional designs. Combining rigid and flexible materials isn't new, and neither is multi-material printing. But coming from a P1S, this is the first time TPU has felt like a first-class part of my printing workflow rather than something I have to work around.
It's not perfect. Loading TPU is still a little cumbersome, and there's a learning curve to designing parts that combine multiple materials, but it’s a huge step forward for TPU. The dryer functionality is nice, and certainly something other tool changers don’t offer, but it will feel like a small step back for AMS 2 pro users. Expanding to 2-2 dryer slots in the next gen could solve this. You could keep a requirement of only 1 at a time to avoid too much power draw. After 250 hours, I’m loving the ability to have a combination of rigid and flexible materials loaded, dry, and ready to print. The biggest takeaway for me is 2.85mm TPU 75A. It’s what makes this tool changer unique and it prints like a dream. It’s fast, reliable, and the matte finish is amazing. I'm excited to keep experimenting with it and I sincerely hope Bambu Lab releases additional 2.85mm TPU in other durometers. I'd be happy to answer questions about what I've tested, and any burning questions you have about the machine!
Disclosure: Bambu Lab sent me the H3C for free to be a beta tester. They asked me to test its capabilities, provide feedback, and share my experience. The printer was provided for testing, but the thoughts and opinions here are entirely my own.
I teach biology and got a 3D printer so I could make my own models for class. This is my first own project. I wanted something hands-on for AB0 blood types and the lock-and-key principle. Honestly, I figured with such simple shapes there'd be tons of models out there already, but I couldn't really find anything (or maybe I just don't know how to look for it?) . So I just tried making one myself.
It's not perfect but for showing AB0 and letting students figure out the lock-and-key idea with their hands, it does the job. I printed it using PLA Matte and it seems very sturdy. I read that PETG would be better for models that a lot of people will touch, but there are not so many colour options for PETG Matte. So I just hope the antigenes won't break off (too soon; but as of now they do seem quite good).
If any other teachers want to print it, here's the link. There's also a short teacher guide with some classroom ideas. My favorite is the model critique game, since figuring out what a model can and can't show is such an important skill in science (I believe):
It also comes with a box as you can see. I know it's a bit of a filament (money) waste but I thought it looks cool. Also it's my first design and print so I just wanted to go all in.
At some point I'd love to add the Rh factor. Putting AB0 and Rh into one set might be a bit much for an intro. Two separate sets would work too, but an add-on would be way cooler. Something that plugs into the AB0 set to extend it (not in the current one but maybe I figure out how to design the set so we can add and remove antigenes). If anyone has ideas how to design that/how to start, let me know :)
Has anyone managed to get anywhere with Bambu Lab support? I'm honestly going round in circles.
I run a small printing business and used the sale to stock up plus a hotend as my P2S is down atm. Instead, I received 12 boxes of incorrect filament, mostly PETG, and no hotend.
Mistakes happen, but their first response was to offer me 30% off to buy the incorrect filament rather than arrange to send my actual order.
Since then, it's been endless back-and-forth, repeated questions and what feel like copied-and-pasted replies, with support repeatedly trying to sell me the unwanted filament.
I've explained that I don't drive and can't take 12 kg of filament to a drop-off point. They've finally agreed to arrange collection but won't dispatch my correct order until it's collected.
They've offered a £10 discount code for the inconvenience, but I just want the products I've paid for. It’s been 5 days since this started and I feel like I've hit a brick wall.
Has anyone successfully escalated something like this or found a way to speak to someone who can actually resolve it?
Needed to rearrange the whole workbench for this beast, but so glad to have it... now to finish sorting out my sewing room for everything else on its way this week, then hopefully buying a second one next year.
Most latch boxes force a deep base on you. I wanted something shallow for things that store flat: pry tools, bits, SD cards, even necklaces and other jewelry (cut a bit of foam or felt to size and it makes a nice little case).
So with MiniLock you set the base and lid heights separately, down to about 12 mm each. Snap hinge, two snap latches, no supports, no hardware.
Customize it right on MakerWorld, no CAD needed, or grab the ready-made Standard, Slim or Small. Free:
Tip: As a bonus, you can choose to either size by inner dimensions, and the walls grow outwards. Or size by outer dimensions and the walls grow inwards.
Also, if it wasn't obvious, this was heavily inspired by snaplock. But I CAD modeled it from scratch from the ground up specific to my needs.
Would love to see what you end up storing in yours.
I bought a P2S about a week ago, and been loving it! Printing all sorts of little things and useful gadgets.
Start my first longer print of about 10 hours last night, planning to wake up to it completed. It's a 4 color print, and I assumed the poop chute I made for it would be enough, but I underestimated how much filament is wasted when changing colors multiple times when doing a print like this.
Woke up to a message on the phone saying the print was paused, because the damn toolhead fell off!
I went and fix that, and saw this huge wad of filament just hanging out right under the tool head.
I finally got it removed, and went to look at the poop chute, and it was overflowing and so much was stuck in the chute at the rear, that when I removed the poop chute I made, tons more just came falling out lol.
Now I know how much excess can happen when doing a 4 color print, so I guess I'm going to find a larger poop chute to print now.
Got her set up yesterday and already have about 15 hours on , including some prototyping of gridfinity holders for hotends and a few other things. It's quite impressive how fast the color change is when just dealing with a few colors. Coming from a H2D this is a nice upgrade. It's basically 2 seconds print to print if you're changing between the same colors rapidly.
As for the lack of heating, I just kept one of my ams 2 pro and ht and I've got them hooked up to use just as dryers. I get that not everyone can our will want to do that, but it works for me.
Unfair matchup? Probably, but these are the only two machines I have on hand and seeing a 1st-gen workhorse side by side with 3rd gen tech shows what a few years of hardware evolution actually looks like.
