Snapmaker U1 Color 3D Printer: 5X More Speed. 5X Less Waste.

Aurora Tech does not mince words, summing up her video by concluding, “Should you back this project? My answer is a definite yes.” She continued, “It makes multicolor and multimaterial printing practical, faster, and most importantly, it doesn’t waste more filament than the model itself … This could very likely become the #1 recommended printer on my list.“

Jonathan, founder of The Next Layer, believes that the U1 is an absolute game-changer and the most impressive product to come across his test bench in years. He commented that “…even at twice the Kickstarter price, this machine would still be an absolute bargain. And I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking to do a lot of multi-color or multi-material printing.”

LostInTech, a respected voice in the 3D printing community, calls the U1 “the trailblazer for a new wave of printers.”He explained: “The Snapmaker U1 represents nothing less than the start of an entirely new era—the era of the affordable toolchanger … the U1 could become the most important printer of 2025.”

Albert of 247printing is putting his money where his mouth is and backing U1 himself, stating, “the Snapmaker U1 is clearly ahead here in terms of time, waste, and energy savings … the first affordable, fast, and convenient tool changer many of us – including me – have been dreaming about for years.”

Maurizio, creator of the YouTube channel mpoxDE, remarked that during his tests he performed over 10,000 tool changes and was “amazed by the U1’s flawless performance with zero errors.“

DukeDoks put the U1 through its paces to build a pair of incredible multi-color RC Car models: “It’s the first toolchanger I’ve tried and I really loved the experience … The truth is that I have fallen in love with it.”

Snapmaker machines are built for excellence, as our longtime users know very well. From careful assembly to rigorous lab testing, each unit is crafted for the reliability, consistency, and creative freedom you’ve come to expect.

19 testers from Snapmaker community put the U1 through real-world printing challenges, proving its speed, efficiency, and reliability. Full stories will be coming soon in our Kickstarter updates.

Creative freedom has long been the promise of multi-color and multi-material 3D printing. The reality until now? Endless purging, wasted filament, and prints that should finish in a few hours taking all day. And mixing filaments, like PLA with TPU? Forget it—most printers can’t even try. Snapmaker U1 changes the game: skips purging delays, cuts excessive waste, and expands what’s possible in every print.

Most printers rely on filament changers to switch between colors or materials, spending more time purging than actually printing. With four toolheads preloaded and pre-heated with their own filaments, the SnapSwap™ system lets the U1 switch by simply swapping the toolheads, cutting your wait time from approximately two minutes to only five seconds[3].

Filament-changing printers “purge” by wasting perfectly good filament—pushing one color through the nozzle until the last trace of the old one is gone. The U1 doesn’t play that game. It only purges the tiny amount of filament that’s actually degraded by the time a new print job begins, or during flow-rate calibration, cutting waste by up to 80%[4]on every print.

The U1 uses steel-ball kinematic couplings to click each print heat into perfect position, then locks it securely—no screws, no magnets, no extra motors. Locked fast, rock solid, tested over 1,000,000 swaps with zero failures.

Based on SnapSwap™’s waste reduction, here’s your potential yearly savings.

With four independent extruders, the U1 lets you mix and match materials freely, giving each part its own function, or making support removal a breeze with low-adhesion combos.

With four toolheads working at high speed, precision isn’t optional—it’s built in. The U1’s compensation algorithms lock every toolhead in sync, dampen vibrations, dial in extrusion, and level out the build surface, so you get the smooth, dimensionally accurate results you’d expect from a top-tier single-head printer.

The U1 automatically aligns XYZ offsets between multiple toolheads, keeping offsets within 0.04mm[5] for sharp prints without vertical shifts.

Input Shaping, aided by a precision accelerometer sensor, reduces vibrations caused by rapid directional changes by pre-processing movement commands to cancel out resonant frequencies. By adjusting acceleration profiles and introducing calculated delays, it prevents surface artifacts like ghosting or ripples, allowing the U1 to deliver clean edges, smooth walls, and sharp details even at high speeds.

The U1 uses Pressure Advance to stay ahead of flow delays, especially during quick moves or sharp corners. It tweaks extrusion timing based on motion changes, so filament flows smoothly even when speeds shift. That means fewer blobs, less thinning, and crisp, consistent detail.

The automatic mesh bed leveling delivers a flat, grippy first layer, setting the stage for every print.

The U1 comes equipped with a super-compact automatic filament system that holds up to four spools on standby. It handles everything from filament detection and loading, so you can print in vivid color, hassle-free.

Snapmaker Orca builds on Orca Slicer’s powerful engine and adds engineer-tested profiles for official materials and machine models. Paired with the Snapmaker App, you can start, monitor, and control your prints from anywhere—and even capture time-lapse videos to replay your creation in motion. Easy print management is right at your fingertips.

With a mix of over a dozen sensors and precision mechanics, the U1 automatically spots issues and guides you through quick fixes, ensuring smooth, successful prints every time.

The built-in chamber camera isn’t just for time-lapses. Starting with an OTA firmware update planned for December 2025 [6], its AI will detect spaghetti and workspace obstructions and alert you in Snapmaker Orca or the app, helping you avoid wasted time and material.

The U1 is built on a CoreXY motion system with lightweight, rigid carbon fiber X-axis rails, delivering travel speeds of up to 500mm/s and maintaining long-term precision across a 270 × 270 × 270mm work area.

Whether you’re bonding over colorful creations at home, building your ultimate hobby hub, or adding a clever twist to your everyday style, the U1 makes it all effortless and fun.