Elegoo Centauri 2: Multi-colour printing without the massive price tag

The new open-frame Elegoo Centauri 2 series promises four-colour capabilities and high speeds for a much more accessible price.

The new open Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 and Centauri Carbon 2 combo. Picture: Elegoo

A few months ago, I spent some time with the original Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2. That machine was a lovely, enclosed affair, which is ideal for those who want multi-colour printing and a requirement to print more advanced filament types. 

The new Centauri 2 Series is a different beast entirely; it’s open-frame, much faster, and aims to bring the chaos of multi-colour printing to anyone with a spare bit of desk space. The real star here is the Canvas system. For too long, multi-colour printing has been an expensive headache involving messy filament swaps and constant monitoring. This setup supports four colours and handles the switching automatically, including features like RFID recognition to keep your spools in check. 

Speed is also increasing, reaching 500 mm/s. While I appreciate the stability of a closed printer for certain materials, this open-frame design uses a die-cast aluminium frame and precision guides to keep things accurate even when it’s flying. Plus, with 22 built-in sensors watching for clogs or bed issues, there is much less chance of waking up to a failed print and a pile of plastic spaghetti. 

It is not just about the physical machine, though; Elegoo is also attempting to tidy up the digital side of things. By bringing in tools like Nexprint for models and the Elegoo Matrix app for remote monitoring, they are building a setup that aims to keep you away from the printer's side once the job has started. It’s a move towards making 3D printing feel less like an intense engineering project and more like using a standard modern appliance. If this software suite delivers on its promise of ease, it could make the jump from simple single-colour prints to much more ambitious projects far less daunting. 

At €299 for the base model and €379 for the combo, Elegoo is clearly targeting makers who want more variety without the premium price tag. It might not have the polished, enclosed look of the Carbon 2 I reviewed previously, but if you can trade an enclosure for a much cheaper way to print in full colour, it’s a very tempting proposition. For those of us who like our prints vibrant and our wallets intact, this looks like a winner. 

Pre-orders are open now at eu.elegoo,com