QLight is a light bar on each Quadro toolhead. It shows the color of the filament loaded in that head, highlights the head that's printing while the others dim, and lights only the head you select on the touchscreen. It makes it easy to match what's on screen with what's on the machine.
With four toolheads, a simple question gets harder: which spool is loaded in which head, and which head is printing right now? QLight answers it by looking at the printer.
The Problem with Four Toolheads
On a one-nozzle printer, there's one filament and one hotend. On a four-toolhead printer there are four of each. Matching what you see on the screen to what you see on the machine can turn into counting positions, "second from the left," "third from the right," and getting it wrong.
How QLight Works
Each toolhead carries a light bar. It does three things:
- Shows the filament color. The bar displays the color of the filament loaded in that head.
- Highlights the active head. While a head is printing, its light is bright and the others dim.
- Lights the head you select. When you choose a tool on the filament screen, only that head lights up, so you know which one you're loading, unloading or editing.
What It Means in Practice
- Loading filament. Pick a tool on the touchscreen and the matching head lights up. You load the right one the first time.
- Following a print. A glance tells you which color is working and which are waiting.
- Checking a setup. Before you start, the colors on the heads should match the colors in your slicer. See how Quadro coordinates four independent toolheads.
QLight works together with the touchscreen. The filament layout on screen mirrors the layout on the printer, and QLight links the two. Read more about the interface in QuadrOS, Klipper and Co Slicer.
Why It Matters When You Choose a Printer
Usability gets overlooked on spec sheets. A multi-toolhead printer needs more than good mechanics: it has to be easy to read at a glance, because there are more things to keep track of. When you compare printers, ask how you can tell which head holds which material. For the full list of questions, see our multi toolhead 3D printer buying guide.
Key Takeaways
- QLight is a light bar on each Quadro toolhead.
- It shows the loaded filament color, highlights the active head and lights the selected one.
- It removes the need to count toolhead positions.
- It ties the touchscreen and the machine together.
Want to see QLight in action? See Quadro or visit the Kickstarter page.
3. FAQ
What is QLight? QLight is a light bar on each of Quadro's toolheads. It shows the color of the filament loaded in that head and highlights the head that is active.
How does QLight help when loading filament? When you select a tool on the touchscreen's filament screen, only that toolhead lights up, so you know which one you are working with.
Does QLight show which toolhead is printing? Yes. The active head is highlighted while the others dim.
Why do multi-toolhead printers need status lights? With four toolheads, matching screen to machine means counting positions. A light on each head removes that step.
