Bicolor PLA filaments can help you print an incredibly unique piece of art. These filaments do not require any extra settings. They work just like a regular PLA filament. These filaments are also known by the name of dichromatic filament, quantum filament, and dual-color filament and are used to print objects with some mesmerizing color combinations. This guide 2022-23 is about getting an answer about what’s bicolor PLA filament, what options are available in bicolor PLA filaments, and how to select your first bicolor PLA filament.

Which is Bicolor PLA Filament?

This 3D printing material field is relatively new as compared to regular printing materials and can be a little confusing for new consumer end users. There are three basic types of multicolor PLA filaments available, each using a little different approach to get different colors in a single filament. 

- Filament with different colors periodically appearing  (rainbow PLA filament)
- Filament mixed with color toner (Color changes with different looking angles)
- Filament with two colors slitting the filament line ( bicolor filament)

The first type is also called multicolor filament, which is the filament that goes along with different colors, the first length of red color, the second length of yellow, and the third length of green color. The filament line periodically shows all those colors. These filaments are commonly known as rainbow PLA filaments as they offer various colors in a single filament.

▲Flashforge Silk Rainbow PLA Filament

The second type - color changing PLA filament - is called chameleon filament.  A color toner is added in it during processing so that this color-changing PLA filament presents different colors if looking it at different angles.

▲Flashforge color-changing PLA Filament

The third type is the protagonist one that really have two colors on it. Bicolor filaments  are of two colors at every point of filament. the cross section of the bicolor filament strand is divided by two different colors. These filaments produce 3D models that have varying color bodies at every point of their body. These filaments are manufactured by extruding two different colors at the same time. Each color makes one-half of the circular cross-section filaments.

▲Flashforge Bicolor PLA Filament

What options are available in bicolor PLA filament

Bicolor (dichromatic) PLA filament is a simple PLA that was extruded with two color pigments. Currently, two options standard PLA texture and high-end silk PLA texture is available in bicolor. Bicolor PLA Silk filament is always recommended over standard texture as smooth shiny silk texture enhances the beauty of bicolor filament with a bright luster look.

There are a lot of different color combinations available for FDM consumer end 3D printers  but as it's a newly emerging field, these filaments are not so easily available. Following are the four best, highly recommended, and easily available bicolor PLA silk filaments for consumer FDM 3d printer users

● Fusion Blue Green

The fusion blue-green bicolor filament is a unique combination of shiny blue and dark green colors. Combined with the silk filament texture, this PLA filament can deliver a unique product with a shiny silky surface with a blue and green color blend.

▲Flashforge Fusion Blue Green PLA Filament

● Fusion Pink Yellow

A very light, eye-catching color combination of pink and yellow makes this filament one of the most high-demand bicolor filaments. This bicolor filament print product is in such a manner that it gives a very unique blending of pink and yellow in a single-color look. This means it's difficult to identify that there are two different colors in this product as it gives a mesmerizing blended color look. 

▲Flashforge Fusion Yellow Pink PLA Filament

●Fusion Gold Rose

Gold color PLA filament is one of the most unique single-color 3d printing filaments and when it is combined with rose red color it gives an even more beautiful blend of colors. This gives the shiny gold color a smooth and silky dark red texture and is considered best to print antique pieces with your unique texture.

▲Flashforge Fusion Gold Rose PLA Filament

● Fusion purple Rose

The fusion of blue with rose red color develops a bicolor filament with a unique combination of shiny blue and dark red color. With the combination of silky texture, this bicolor PLA silk filament can deliver a very unique shiny and silky surface with a blue and green color blend.

▲Flashforge Fusion Blue Rose PLA Filament

How to select your first bicolor PLA filament

Recently a wide range of these filaments are now available for consumer use but are a little more expensive as compared to single-color PLA filament. Their name and color combination make it even more complicated for new users to select and print the first bicolor filament. There are several factors that one should consider when buying their first bicolor PLA filament. 

The color combination at the final 3d print of the bicolor filament in some cases is not what most users think and consider. Sometimes the colors don't blend properly, or are not visible on 3D printouts, while in other cases the colors blend so perfectly that they deliver unique bicolor 3d print with the texture of a new single color. So it's better to ask the filament provider to show some printed samples to have a better understanding of color combinations.

Product orientation means which part of you model is selected as base. It is also about how you place and slice your product in slicer software while printing with bicolor PLA filament. It is very important as these filaments are manufactured with a half side of one color and half side of another color. So the product orientation and how user prints their product will decide the color combination of the final product. Practice and experience is the only solution here that gives some control over the final product color combination.

▲Printed by Flashforge Bicolor PLA Silk Filament

Color pigment concentration which is the amount and type of color the manufacturer use while manufacturing bicolor filaments. As there is no single red or yellow color in 3d printing materials. A red can be rose red, dark red, bright red and yellow can be shiny or pail yellow color. It is better to ask for a sample of bicolor filament or at least some product that gives a clear idea of the material color and color combination of the final product.

Concluding the Buyer Guide on Bicolor PLA Filament

Bicolor PLA filaments are one of the most unique and exciting materials that the 3D printing material domain can offer. They work like a simple single-color PLA filament but deliver a mesmerizing and amazing multicolor 3d print. There are several options available but Fusion-Blue-Green, Fusion-Pink-Yellow, Fusion-Gold-Rose, and Fusion-Blue-Rose are the most beautiful, easily available, and best quality bicolor PLA silk filament available in the market. For new users, considering the color combination, product orientation, and color pigment concentration are important factors to consider before buying the first filament. Always ask for sample prints to have a better understanding of the color combination of the final print.