Endless PETG #2 (May 2022) - Empire Strikes Black and Candy Apple Red

by Protoplant, makers of Protopasta comments

May the 4th be with you! Yes, our 2nd installment of Protopasta’s Endless PETG is a little on the dark side, but that’s all good, right? May 2022 brings popular Protopasta HTPLA colors, Empire Strikes Black and Candy Apple Red, to PETG and they look out of this world! Endless PETG Subscribers get them first and at a discount!!!

ESB + CAR icosa 3d print           

Empire Strikes Black (ESB) has big, silver glitter flecks, providing a stark contrast to the black base that’ll leave you starry-eyed! We first introduced this sparkly black in May 2018. At the time I formulated ESB, Vertigo Grey from Fillamentum was a popular “black”, but with a strong gray undertone from the added pearl. Later, Prusa followed suit with a similar color, Prusament Galaxy Black. I, however, imagined something different, a sparkly black without the gray undertone. I’m proud to say, Empire Strikes Black was the result.

Reaching further back to December 2017, Candy Apple Red (CAR) made its debut. Chuck Hellebuyck  and I found common interest in a hot rod red when chatting on Twitter. Like other Protopasta metallic colors, beautiful automotive finishes are the inspiration. In the case of CAR, I had a very specific tone in mind. I didn’t want a sun-faded, silvery undertone red. I had to have a warm, gold undertone red. While it took a while to find the right ingredients, the result was well worth the wait, don’t you think?

ESB and CAR join forces to indulge our dark sides. Of course, whether you align with the empire or not, we hope you rebel against boring filament and revel in Protopasta’s epic color choices. Enjoy the pasta and may the force be with you!

Alex and the Protopasta Team

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We find these general parameters to work well for our prints, but don't hesitate to reach out to support@protoplant.com if you need any further guidance.

Machine(s): Prusa MK2/3, Prusa Mini, Creality Ender 3 
Nozzle: 0.4 mm nickel-plated brass (or similar) w/ sock (if possible)
Nozzle Temp: 210 - 235 C      Bed Temp: 70 - 85 C      Bed Type: PEI
Bed Prep: Clean w/ water or alcohol; Magigoo for additional adhesion + easy release when cool

Outlines: 3      Top/Bot layers: 4     Infill type: Lines     Infill: 30%     
Overlaps: 0     Min layer time: 0     Min Speed: 0          Fill gaps: no     Expansion: 0
Layer height Ext width Speed Fan
 1st Layer 0.21 mm 0.42 mm 20 mm/s all over 0%
Rest of print 0.21 mm 0.42 mm

20 mm/s outline

40 mm/s infill

 20-60%

Expect similar results on all machines with layer adhesion starting at 210 C at 2-3 cu mm/s volume rate. Required temperature will increase with volume rate and higher temperatures and/or lower speeds will increase gloss.

We recommend upgrading the Prusa Mini to a Bondtech heatbreak, moving the PTFE junction farther away from the hotend to reduce hang-ups. The Prusa MK3 has the stock Prusa heatbreak with lip, but swapping to a standard e3dv6 heatbreak or e3d lite6 hotend can bring more trouble-free results. The Creality Ender 3 requires no modifications.

All can benefit from a calibrated first layer that is not too close to the build platform. Leaving enough room for material to come out without restriction, yet still close enough to stick, is key for more trouble-free printing.
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Having trouble with your loose coils? We can help! Check out this awesome printable spool that only takes 50g of filament!

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We know printing isn't always trouble-free so if you're looking for instructions on how to wrangle those loose coils or need other printing help, please consider our getting started guide!

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