How to Print Two Colors on a Bambu A1 Mini With Manual Filament Changes

You Do Not Need AMS for Two-Tone Prints

The Bambu Lab A1 Mini is a solid first printer. It does not ship with an automatic material switching system. That does not mean you are stuck with single-color models. A recent walkthrough from CHEP (Filament Friday) shows how manual filament changes during a print can produce clean two-color results on the A1 Mini.

The Setup

Start with a model designed for color changes. Slice it in Bambu Studio or your slicer of choice. The key is pausing the print at the layer where the color switch should happen. On the A1 Mini, you can trigger a pause from the printer's screen once the layer is finished.

When the printer pauses, wait for the nozzle to cool slightly so the filament does not ooze. Cut the old filament, load the new color, and prime the nozzle until the new color flows cleanly. Resume the print. The seam is usually minimal if you pause at a layer change or hidden edge.

Tips That Save Time

CHEP recommends using a draft shield or enclosure if your room temperature fluctuates. Cooling too fast between swaps can cause layer adhesion problems. Also, plan the color switch around a layer where the new color covers a larger area than the old one. That way any purge artifact gets hidden by the next pass.

This method is not faster than an AMS unit, but it costs nothing extra. It works well for small runs, prototypes, or models where only a few layers need a second color. If you find yourself doing it often, the A1 Mini can be a gateway to larger printers with tool changers. For now, a well-timed pause and filament swap is enough.