A multi-color deck box printed in two or three colors with Bambu Lab’s AMS system looks dramatically better than a single-color print and requires less painting skill than you’d expect. The AMS handles the filament swaps automatically. You paint the colors in Bambu Studio, slice, and print. The result: a clean two-tone or full-color deck box that looks like it was manufactured, not printed. Here’s the full process from setup to print.
What AMS Multi-Color Printing Actually Does
The AMS (Automatic Material System) is Bambu Lab’s filament hub that holds up to 4 spools and feeds them to the printer on demand. When you assign different colors to different parts of a model in Bambu Studio, the printer pauses at the appropriate layer, the AMS retracks the current filament and loads the next color, purges the transition, and continues printing. The result is a multi-color print produced automatically without manual filament changes.
For deck boxes, this opens specific design possibilities: the main body in one color, the cap in another, insignia or logos printed in a contrasting color embedded directly into the surface, and mana symbols or lettering in accent colors. What previously required masking and spray painting or careful hand-painting can now be produced in a single print run.
The trade-off is purge waste. Every color change requires purging a transition amount of mixed filament before the new color runs clean. A deck box with many small color regions on each layer generates more purge waste than one with large distinct color zones. Designing or choosing files with clean large color regions per layer keeps purge waste manageable.
Setting Up a Multi-Color Deck Box Print in Bambu Studio
The process assumes you have a Bambu Lab printer with AMS or AMS Lite connected and at least two filament spools loaded.
- Import the STL files. Multi-color deck box files are typically provided as separate STL files per color region, or as a single 3MF with pre-assigned color regions. OreKo Eldrazi models are structured for color assignment in Bambu Studio.
- Assign filaments to objects or painted regions. In Bambu Studio, right-click each part object and assign the filament slot (1-4 from your AMS). For painted regions within a single mesh, use the color painting tool to assign colors to specific faces or sections of the model.
- Set filament profiles for each slot. Confirm each AMS slot has the correct filament type and color profile set. Mismatched profiles cause temperature and retraction issues at color transitions.
- Run the multi-color slice. Bambu Studio generates the purge tower automatically. Review the purge tower size in the slice preview. If it’s very large (indicating many small color changes per layer), consider simplifying your color regions.
- Check the preview layer by layer. Scroll through the layer preview to verify color placement before committing to a long print. A color assigned to the wrong object is much easier to fix before printing than after.
- Print. The AMS handles filament swaps. Monitor the first few color changes to confirm clean transitions, then let it run.
Color Combinations That Work Well for MTG Deck Boxes
| MTG Color Identity | Primary Body Color | Accent / Detail Color | Cap Color |
|---|---|---|---|
| White (Plains) | White or cream matte PLA | Gold silk PLA | White or light grey |
| Blue (Island) | Deep blue matte PLA | Silver silk PLA | Light blue or silver |
| Black (Swamp) | Matte black PLA | Dark silver or charcoal | Black or very dark grey |
| Red (Mountain) | Deep red matte PLA | Orange or gold silk | Dark red or charcoal |
| Green (Forest) | Forest green matte PLA | Bronze or copper silk | Dark green or brown |
| Eldrazi (colorless) | Matte dark grey or black | Purple or violet | Black or very dark grey |
| Fallout / Wastelander | Tan or khaki matte PLA | Matte black details | Olive or dark brown |
Mixing Matte and Silk Filament in the Same Print
One of the most effective deck box color combinations uses matte PLA for the structural body and silk PLA for small metallic accent details. The matte body reads as a solid, serious deck box. The silk accents catch light and look like inlaid metal or decorative embellishment.
To mix matte and silk effectively, be aware that they have slightly different print temperature requirements. Matte PLA typically prints at 200-215°C; silk PLA prefers 210-225°C. If they’re close enough to share a single temperature profile, set the temperature to the overlap range (210-215°C usually works for both). If the temperature gap is larger, the silk sections may be slightly underdeveloped or the matte sections slightly over-extruded.
Test a small two-color swatch before committing to a full deck box print to verify the temperature and transition behavior between your specific filaments.
OreKo Models Optimised for Multi-Color Printing
The Eldrazi Incursion Dual Sleeve deck box (3,900+ views on Cults3D) is particularly well-suited for two-color AMS printing. The cap and body are separate objects for clean color assignment, and the Eldrazi design elements on the surfaces are positioned for effective color contrast between the main body and accent details.
The MTG Fallout Deck Box works well in two tones that match the Fallout post-apocalyptic aesthetic: a worn tan or khaki body with matte black cap, or a full matte black build with a dark bronze or gunmetal cap. The post-apocalyptic design elements read particularly well when body and cap are differentiated in color.
More on multi-color printing workflows and the AMS system in the dedicated multi-color deck box post.
Frequently Asked Questions: Multi-Color MTG Deck Box Printing
Do I need AMS to print a multi-color deck box?
AMS automates the process but manual filament swaps also work. At the layer where you want a color change, you can pause the print manually, swap the filament, and resume. This is more labor-intensive and less precise than AMS but entirely doable for simple two-color splits like a different cap versus body color.
How much filament does purging waste in multi-color prints?
Bambu Studio generates a purge tower automatically sized for the number and frequency of color changes. A simple two-color deck box with body and cap in different colors uses minimal purge since color changes are infrequent. A complex design with many small color regions on each layer generates much more purge waste. For efficient AMS printing, choose designs with large distinct color regions per layer.
Can I use different filament types in the same AMS print?
Yes, within compatible temperature ranges. PLA + matte PLA, standard PLA + silk PLA, and similar combinations within the 200-225°C range print together well. Mixing PLA with PETG or other materials with significantly different temperature requirements in the same print is more complex and generally not recommended for beginners.
Which Bambu Lab printer is best for multi-color deck boxes?
Any Bambu Lab printer with AMS or AMS Lite handles multi-color deck box printing well. The A1 with AMS Lite is the most accessible entry point. The P1S with full AMS gives more filament capacity (4 spools) and an enclosure for printing ABS or ASA multi-color builds. The printer comparison guide covers all current Bambu Lab models.
