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# How to use color painting

# How to use color painting
Color painting lets you assign filament regions directly on the surface of one selected model. Use it when a single model should print in multiple colors without splitting it into separate parts.

|| Color painting is only shown when your account can use color painting and multi-color per plate. In the current Cloud Slicer UI, paint tools are not shown when PrusaSlicer is selected.

![Color painting panel with filament buttons and brush controls](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/f/2/2/ff22a914001c1000/color-painting-color-painting-_1fzhvlp.png)

## Before you start
Prepare the model and filament slots first.

Check that:

- You have selected a model
- The model is not locked
- You are not selecting multiple objects
- At least two filaments are configured
- The selected engine shows the color painting tool

## Enter color painting
1. Select the model you want to paint.
2. Click the **Color painting** tool in the top toolbar.
3. Choose the filament you want to paint with in the paint panel.

The slicer isolates the selected object while you paint. Other models, the bed, and helper visuals are hidden so you can focus on the surface you are editing.

## Choose a filament
Color painting uses the filament buttons in the paint panel. The first filament is shown as 1, the second as 2, and so on.

The paint data stores the selected filament as a numbered paint state. In normal use, that means the color you paint should match the filament slot you selected.

## Choose a brush
The paint panel includes four brush types:

| Brush | Use it for |
| ----- | ---------- |
| Sphere | General painting across surfaces the brush touches |
| Circle | Front-facing surface painting |
| Triangle | Precise triangle-by-triangle edits |
| Fill | Filling connected regions based on the smart fill angle |

For sphere and circle brushes, adjust **Brush size** to make the brush larger or smaller. Brush size is limited from 0.1 mm to 8 mm.

## Paint and erase
Use the mouse on the model surface:

- Left click paints with the selected filament
- Shift + left click erases paint
- Ctrl + scroll changes brush size

On Mac, the modifier key behavior may follow the platform-specific handling in the slicer, but the visible shortcut helper shows Control + scroll.

## Use direction lock
Color painting supports direction lock:

- **Vertical** limits a stroke to vertical movement
- **Horizontal** limits a stroke to horizontal movement

Use this for stripes, bands, or cleaner edges where freehand movement is too loose.

## Use fill carefully
The fill brush uses **Smart fill angle**. Lower values stop sooner at surface angle changes, while higher values fill across broader connected regions.

If fill selects too much, lower the angle and try again. If it stops too early, raise the angle.

## Exit color painting
Click the active color painting tool again or use the exit action shown by the slicer. When you exit, the slicer restores the scene and keeps the painted color data on the object.

After slicing, check the preview to confirm that the expected filaments are used.

## Related articles
- [Multi-color and multi-material printing in the Cloud Slicer](https://help.simplyprint.io/en/article/multi-color-and-multi-material-printing-in-the-cloud-slicer-snr5wi/)
- [How to assign colors and filament slots to a model](https://help.simplyprint.io/en/article/how-to-assign-colors-and-filament-slots-to-a-model-tbxuaa/)
- [How to use support, seam, and fuzzy skin painting](https://help.simplyprint.io/en/article/how-to-use-support-seam-and-fuzzy-skin-painting-v0fh5d/)
- [Paint-on features in the online slicer: supports, seams, colors, and fuzzy skin](https://help.simplyprint.io/en/article/paint-on-features-in-the-online-slicer-supports-seams-colors-and-fuzzy-skin-gy0goh/)