How to pause at a layer in OrcaSlicer to change filament

In OrcaSlicer, make sure the printer's Pause G-code is set, then slice, drag the layer slider to the first layer of the new color, right-click the + handle, choose Add Pause, and slice again.

Used with: Most printers: Bambu Lab, Prusa, Creality, Elegoo, Anycubic, Qidi, Voron and other Klipper or Marlin printers. Checked against OrcaSlicer 2.4.2 (September 2026).

Add the pause in OrcaSlicer

  1. 1

    Check the pause command (once per printer)

    Open the printer settings (the edit icon next to your printer), go to Machine G-code and look at Pause G-code. If it's empty, fill it in from the table below. An empty Pause G-code means the printer won't stop.

  2. 2

    Slice and open the preview

    Click Slice plate. The Preview tab opens with a vertical layer slider on the right.

  3. 3

    Find the first layer of the new color

    Drag the slider up until the preview shows the first layer that prints only the new color, for example the first layer of raised letters above the base. The label shows the layer number and its height in mm.

  4. 4

    Add the pause

    Right-click the slider handle (the one with the + in it) and choose Add Pause. A marker appears at that layer. The printer stops just before printing it.

  5. 5

    Slice again, then print

    Adding a pause marks the slice out of date. Click Slice plate again, then send or export the file as usual.

Not sure which layer? Pick the first layer of the new color. How to find it.

The pause command

What goes in Pause G-code depends on the printer's firmware. OrcaSlicer's own printer profiles use these:

Bambu Lab (all)M400 U1
Prusa MK4, MK4S, CORE One, MINIM601 (plain pause) or M600 (guided filament change)
Creality K1C, K1 Max, K2 Plus, Ender-3 V3 KEPAUSE
Creality Ender-3 V3 SE, Ender-3 S1M25
Elegoo Neptune 4, 4 ProM600
Anycubic Kobra 3, Kobra S1M601
Qidi Q1 Pro, Voron and other Klipper printersPAUSE
Other Marlin printersM600 if the firmware supports it, otherwise M0 or M25

Swap the filament at the printer

Start the print with the first color loaded. When it reaches the pause:

  1. 6

    Wait for the pause

    The printer finishes the layer below and stops. Most firmware parks the toolhead away from the print.

  2. 7

    Swap the filament

    With M600, the printer unloads and asks for the new filament. With PAUSE, M601, M0 or M25, use the screen's filament controls to heat the nozzle, unload, and load the new color. Purge until the color is clean.

  3. 8

    Resume

    Remove the purged strand without touching the print, then choose Resume on the printer.

Remove a pause

Move the slider to the layer with the pause and click the × next to the handle, or right-click the handle and choose Delete Pause. Then slice again.

Tips and common problems

  • If the printer's Pause G-code is empty, the slicer writes only a comment and the printer never stops. Check it once in Printer settings → Machine G-code → Pause G-code.
  • OrcaSlicer's Prusa MK4S profiles inherit Bambu's M400 U1 as the pause command. On a MK4S, change Pause G-code to M601 (or M600 for a guided swap).
  • Use Add Pause rather than Change Filament on a single-extruder printer. The filament change route goes through tool-change G-code and has been reported to fire mid-layer, leaving blobs.
  • Add Pause is greyed out when the print sequence is By object. Set it to By layer in the process settings.
  • Avoid pausing in the first two or three layers: the print can cool and lift off the bed while it waits.

Common questions

Why didn't my printer pause in OrcaSlicer?
Usually the printer profile's Pause G-code is empty, so only a comment is written. Set it under Printer settings, Machine G-code, Pause G-code (PAUSE for Klipper, M600 or M0 for Marlin, M601 for Prusa), then slice again.
Should I use PAUSE or M600 in OrcaSlicer?
Use whatever your firmware supports. Klipper printers use PAUSE unless the maker added an M600 macro. Marlin printers with the advanced pause feature and Prusa printers support M600, which walks you through unloading and loading.