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YOU CAN PRINT FULL-COLOUR ARTWORK ON AN ORDINARY FDM PRINTER

Turn a flat image into a 3D model whose stacked filament layers optically mix into the colour you wanted, calibrated from a photograph of your actual filament.

by Lumina Layer Studio

FULL CAD BOM FIRMWARE DOCS

WorkshopSoftware

difficulty
●●●○○
time
an evening for the first test print, a weekend to dial in your filament set
license
GPL-3.0
repo
repo ACTIVE1,065 stars

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

1
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COMPAREE VERDICT

Lumina Studio is for people who already have a multi-material FDM printer and want to print something other than functional parts. The core idea is simple: instead of assuming what your filament looks like, you print a calibration board, photograph it, and the software builds a preset from that photo. That photograph step is what lets it account for your actual filament, layer order and print settings. The output is a slicer-ready 3MF with colour built into the geometry as stacked layers that optically combine at a fixed layer height. The public 1.x release mainly covers 2, 4, 6 and 8-colour workflows; prints in the user gallery go up to 18 colours, but the gallery mixes 1.x and 2.0 beta work. The biggest limitation is that version 2.0 is still in private beta — the README says it is planned to become open source in October 2026 — so what you can use today is the 1.x line. If you do not already own a multi-material setup, this is the wrong project; it assumes you have the hardware. If you do, and you are tired of single-colour functional prints, it is well worth an evening.

GOOD TO KNOW

  • —The repository contains software only: a Python application that converts images into multi-material 3D models.
  • —The project wiki at wiki.luminastudio.com.cn has the 1.x guide, slicer setup and tutorials; there is also a Discord and a QQ community.
  • —No hardware design files — this is software that drives a multi-material FDM printer you already own.
  • —The public release is version 1.x, GPL-3.0 licensed with no commercial restrictions.
  • —Version 2.0 is in private beta and is planned to be open-sourced in October 2026.
  • —The user gallery shows prints from 8 up to 18 colours, made with both 1.x and the private 2.0 beta; the public 1.x line covers 2, 4, 6 and 8-colour workflows.

Parts to buy

3 items

From our check of the build. Exact quantities and part numbers are in the creator’s BOM.

  • Multi-material FDM printer setup (e.gFind
  • Bambu AMSFind
  • Prusa MMU) and filament in the colours you wantFind

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Can I build this?

Printa calibration swatch, then whatever image you want to turn into a print
Buya multi-material FDM printer setup (e.g. Bambu AMS, Prusa MMU) and filament in the colours you want
ToolsPython 3, a camera or phone for photographing the swatch, a slicer that supports multi-material models
Skillscomfortable with Python environments and multi-material slicing; the hard part is consistent lighting for the calibration photo
Timean evening for the first test print, a weekend to dial in your filament set and learn what layer heights work
Cost$$ — the software is free, but multi-material hardware and filament sets dominate the cost if you do not already own them
SafetyNone beyond ordinary 3D printing care. The project is software; the printer you already own has its own safety profile.

Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.

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Gallery

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Start here

Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.

  1. 1.Download the 1.x stable package from GitHub Releases (or run from source) (The wiki has a setup guide; start there before running anything.)
  2. 2.Print the calibration swatch with your filament set (Consistent lighting for the photograph is the most common failure point.)
  3. 3.Photograph the swatch and run the calibration script(The script builds a colour model from the photo; this is what makes it work across different brands.)
  4. 4.Convert an image to a multi-material 3D model and slice it (The output is a multi-material 3MF; confirm the material order in your slicer before printing.)

Resources

Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.

KNOWN ISSUES

  • Version 2.0 is in private beta (planned to become open source in October 2026) — features you see in the gallery or community posts may not be in the 1.x release you are using.
  • The calibration photo affects the result: shoot it under consistent lighting and keep camera settings fixed, because automatic exposure can shift the measured colours.
  • The 1.x workflows cover 2, 4, 6 and 8 colours — the gallery shows up to 18 colours, but some of those prints were made with the private 2.0 beta.
  • If you do not already own a multi-material FDM printer, this project will not help you; it is software, not a hardware build.
  • Layer height is fixed for a given print — if you change it after calibration, the optical mixing breaks and the colours shift.
  • The software assumes your slicer can handle multi-material models; if your slicer does not, the output will not work.

What multi-material printers does this work with?

A printer that can print several filaments within one model, such as a printer with an automatic material system. The software outputs a multi-material 3MF; the project wiki has a multi-brand slicer guide for setting the material order.

How many colours can I print?

The public 1.x release covers 2, 4, 6 and 8-colour workflows. The user gallery goes up to 18 colours, but it mixes 1.x prints with prints from the private 2.0 beta, which adds custom colour counts.

Why do I have to photograph the swatch instead of using a colour chart?

Because your filament does not match a chart. Photographing the swatch lets the software measure what your actual filament looks like, which is how it handles different brands and batches without guessing.

Can I use this for functional parts or does it only work for flat art?

The gallery includes jointed figures, folding fans, puzzles that play, and perforated boards — it is not limited to flat prints. The workflow is the same; the layers stack however you model them.

What is the difference between 1.x and 2.0?

1.x calibrates with a fixed colour board that you print and photograph; the 2.0 beta uses gradient colour cards plus simulation to predict colour mixing and needs less repeated calibration. 2.0 is in private beta and is planned to become open source in October 2026; what you can use today is the 1.x line, which is GPL-3.0 and public.

Community builds

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Discussion1

FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM

The gallery shows prints up to 18 colours, but custom colour counts are a 2.0 beta feature — 1.x mainly covers 2 to 8 colours. If you have already dialled in a calibration, what did you learn that is not in the guides yet?

CompareeTEAM1mo agoedited

We verified the repository on 30 August 2026. The 1.x release is GPL-3.0 and public; version 2.0 is in private beta and is planned to be open-sourced in October 2026. The guides do not live in the GitHub wiki — the project wiki is at wiki.luminastudio.com.cn — and the README links an official calibration workflow video on Bilibili plus the project's own YouTube and Bilibili channels. The 1.x line mainly covers 2-, 4-, 6- and 8-colour workflows; the user gallery shows prints labelled from 8 to 18 colours, but it mixes 1.x and 2.0 beta work, and custom colour counts are a 2.0 beta feature. The single biggest thing that will save you time: the README notes that the result depends on photography as well as filament and print settings, so photograph the calibration print under consistent lighting and keep the camera settings fixed between shots. Correction (4 October 2026): we re-checked this page line by line against the project's own repository, documentation and videos, and fixed errors in earlier versions.

Lumina Layer Studio

The project started as a way to print full-colour artwork on ordinary multi-material FDM printers without assuming what your filament looks like. The photographed calibration approach is what makes it work across different brands and batches, and the user gallery shows prints from 8 up to 18 colours using the same workflow.

GitHub

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DISCLAIMER

  • Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
  • Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
  • Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
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