Frequently asked questions
Materials and preparation
What printer or filaments do I need for Polychrome?
Any 3D printer that changes filament mid-print: Bambu AMS or AMS lite, Prusa MMU, Creality CFS and more. One filament changer is enough. Any nozzle size works too.
The app ships a catalogue of PLA filaments from several brands. 14 Bambu Lab rolls ship measured, including the eight installed by default, so calibrating them is optional. Any other roll in the catalogue starts from an estimate you can correct with the check card: calibrating takes about an hour, once, and it's mostly printing. I test it on a Bambu X1C.
How many rolls do I need?
Four will print. Five gives a better result, and you still only need one filament changer: with switch out black on, the darkest roll prints the base, then you swap it for white once, at a pause about 30 minutes into a 200 x 200 mm print. The print sheet tells you exactly when. If that's more work than you want, leave switch out black off and it prints with four. If your printer has more slots, set the number to match.
Are colour layers the same as filament colours?
No. Eight colour layers means eight thin printed layers in the colour part of the print. Several different filaments can appear in the same layer, so it doesn't mean you need eight rolls.
Can I use filaments from another brand?
Yes. Add them on the Filaments page. 14 Bambu Lab rolls ship measured. Anything else starts from an estimate until you calibrate it with a printed check card, which takes about an hour, once.
Why does the app say my filaments were measured on your rolls?
That's a heads-up, not an error. The numbers for the 14 measured Bambu Lab rolls come from my own rolls of the same product, so the preview says they were measured on our rolls. Manufacturers can change a filament's recipe between batches, so I can't promise your roll matches mine, and I'd rather tell you than hide it.
The preview is usually close. To be sure, print a check card and calibrate your own roll.
Will the preview exactly match my print?
It matches as well as your filaments are calibrated. Polychrome starts from estimates, and an estimate is not a measurement, so an uncalibrated preview can be some way off. A calibration is reused for every plate you make with those filaments.
Lighting, batch differences and your own screen move the appearance too.
How is this different from HueForge?
HueForge uses the same colour order everywhere and changes filament at set heights. Polychrome uses your printer's filament changer to print a different colour order at each spot, which is where the extra colours come from. The tradeoff is that Polychrome needs a filament changer: any printer that changes filament mid-print works.
Bambu's Chroma Canvas works the same way as HueForge, changing filament at set heights, and it is free. Polychrome changes the order at each spot.
Relief or flat, which looks better?
The colours are the same either way. Relief is the default and adds a surface you can feel, and I prefer it for a piece in a frame. Flat is for anything that must sit level, like a coaster or a bookmark.
Licences and selling
Can I sell what I make?
Yes, with a commercial licence: Commercial Prints for physical prints, Creator for printable files as well. You also need rights to the source artwork. See Polychrome for sellers.
Do I need the Creator licence to sell prints?
No. The Commercial Prints licence covers physical products. Creator adds permission to sell generated digital files and to create a catalogue of printable designs.
Can I post files for free on Printables or MakerWorld with a Personal licence?
Yes. Personal covers anything you give away, files included. Only selling files needs the Creator licence.
Is there a subscription?
Personal is a one-time purchase. Commercial Prints and Creator are annual licences through Gumroad that renew each year until you cancel. If one lapses, the prints you made while it was active are still yours to sell. What stops is building new plates until you renew.
What happens after I buy?
Gumroad emails you a licence key. Open Polychrome, click Licence, paste the key and press Activate. Activating your licence covers the offline option too.
A Personal licence covers every version published in the twelve months after you buy, and those keep working for as long as you like.
Can I buy it and download it now?
Yes. All three licences are on sale through Gumroad, and Windows and macOS are on the download page. You can try it free for seven days before you buy. See the licences.
Still have a question?
Email me with any question. For a print question, include your app version, printer, slicer and filament codes.