Published 10 November 2026. This is a follow-up to my guide to mixed nozzle sizes on the H3C. I own an A1 and an A2L, neither of which is covered by this announcement, so everything here comes from Bambu’s own posts, the community thread and third-party reporting. I say which is which.
When the H3C launched on 3 November, its most interesting trick was printing one model with different nozzle sizes, each at its own layer height. The immediate question from owners of Bambu’s existing multi-nozzle printers was obvious: what about us? Bambu answered the same day. The H2D, H2C and X2D are all getting mixed nozzle support. Here are the dates, the fine print, what is different from the H3C, and a shortcut some people are already using.
What Bambu has actually said
The primary source is Bambu’s announcement on its community forum, mirrored on its blog on 3 November. In short: alongside the H3C, Bambu has been building the ability to print a single object with different nozzle diameters for the H2D, H2C and X2D, balancing speed and detail. The reason it is not simply a software switch, Bambu says, is that each of these printers has a different AMS setup from the H3C, so the slicing logic and print parameters need adapting for more combinations of filament and nozzle. Setups with the Filament Track Switch take more of that work, which is why the timing differs by model and configuration.
| Printer | Without Filament Track Switch | With Filament Track Switch |
|---|---|---|
| H2D | Late November 2026 (forum). “November 2026” (blog) | February 2027 |
| H2C | February 2027 | March 2027 |
| X2D | February 2027 | March 2027 |
- These are estimates. Bambu labels them “estimated software update” dates and the blog says the schedule will vary by model and scenario. Technobezz made the same point in its report, calling them development estimates and not confirmed delivery dates.
- Bambu promises updates. The blog says it will step up development and keep users informed. The only post by Bambu in the forum thread is the announcement itself, and I could find no reply since.
- The wording differs. The blog calls it “multi-orifice nozzle printing” and the forum calls it “mixed nozzle size printing”. They describe the same thing.
- The H2D is first. About three weeks from today for an H2D without a Filament Track Switch, if the estimate holds, and months later for the others.
What Bambu said on 9 November
Six days after the announcement, Bambu published a longer blog post, “The ‘Impossible’ Slice”, explaining how the H3C does it. It is the best description yet of the technique, and it ends with a line that matters here: native mixed-nozzle support for the H2D, H2C and X2D is “already actively in development”. It also says Bambu has released all the code for the feature in the latest Bambu Studio on GitHub.
The post’s key idea is the “layer band”. Most slicers can change layer height as a print climbs, but neighbouring regions side by side follow the same layer schedule. Bambu’s example is a watch with a finely detailed dial next to a chunky case. The H3C organises the print into bands. Within each band the fine nozzle lays several thin layers, then the larger nozzle lays one thick layer, so both regions meet at the same height before moving up. Bambu’s illustration has three thin layers matched against one thick layer. That squares with the ratio rule in the H3C wiki that I covered in my guide, where each nozzle’s layer height scales with its diameter. The slicer also has to decide where regions meet, which nozzle goes first, how to keep tool changes to a minimum, and how to travel without scraping what has already been printed.
You choose the regions by painting them with a tool or placing a simple modifier box, and Studio does the rest each time you slice. Bambu says that, to its knowledge, the H3C is the first commercially available printer to let different nozzle sizes print different layer heights on the same surface. That is Bambu’s claim, which I have not checked against every other slicer, but forum users in the thread who tested the alternatives came to a similar view.
What is different on the H2D, H2C and X2D
The hardware is the obvious difference, and it is also where I have to be careful, because Bambu has not said how the feature will work on these printers. Here is what is known and what is my own reasoning.
| Question | H3C (shipping now) | H2D, H2C and X2D (planned) |
|---|---|---|
| How many nozzle sizes at once? | Up to nine tools, each with its own hotend, so many sizes are possible | Not stated by Bambu. H2D and X2D have two nozzles. My reasoning: two sizes at once is the natural limit there, and the H2C’s rack makes it less clear |
| Per-nozzle layer heights on one surface? | Yes, via layer bands in Bambu Studio 2.9.1 | Not stated. Bambu says “native mixed-nozzle support” is in development. I would not assume it matches the H3C until the release notes say so |
| Filament feeding | Each AMS 3H slot feeds one tool, with a fixed mapping to nozzle size | Different AMS setups, which Bambu says is why the slicing logic needs adapting |
| Bambu Studio support today | Yes, from 3 November | No. Studio 2.9.1’s notes say the H3C is supported first |
One more thing to know: Bambu does not name every printer. The H2D Pro, H2S and P2S are not mentioned, and neither are the A-series printers like my A1 and A2L. The H2S, P2S and A-series have a single nozzle, so there is nothing to mix, and the H2D Pro is a dual-nozzle variant of the H2D that the announcement does not address. If you own one, I would watch the release notes rather than assume.
What you can do right now: OrcaSlicer 2.5
You do not have to wait entirely. OrcaSlicer 2.5.0, which went through alpha (16 October), beta (27 October) and release candidate (1 November) stages, has an official release listed on its GitHub page, and a forum user reported on 8 November that it had just been released. Its release notes say the left and right nozzles of the H2D and X2D can now be different sizes, for example a 0.2 mm nozzle for fine outer walls and a 0.8 mm nozzle for fast infill. It also adds support for the H2C and A2L, listed as a separate item.
| Point | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| Who gets it | H2D and X2D are named in the notes. A forum user says the H2C can be set up too, but only with two sizes (left and right), not all seven possible nozzles, and the notes do not specifically mention it |
| How it works | Each nozzle’s diameter is set separately. Line widths, infill, supports and ironing are worked out from the nozzle that prints each filament. You assign nozzles through the Filament for Features settings or the colour painting tool |
| Recommended practice | Orca’s wiki suggests setting line widths as a percentage of the nozzle diameter, such as 120% for a 0.48 mm line on a 0.4 mm nozzle. Pressure advance varies with nozzle size, so calibrate each filament and nozzle pairing |
| The limit | The same forum user says Orca cannot give different layer heights on the same plane, the way Bambu’s layer-band approach does. Layer heights vary only in the usual ways, such as height modifiers. Another user agreed Bambu Studio looks like the first slicer to do it, though with its own limitations |
| Early bugs | A pull request discussion for the feature reported the wipe tower printing at a narrower line width than expected with a 0.4 mm nozzle in a mixed 0.2 and 0.4 mm multicolour print on an X2D |
| Bambu’s position | AM Insight Asia reported in late October that Bambu says dual-nozzle printing on the H2D and X2D currently supports only nozzles of the same size, so using different sizes puts you outside what Bambu officially supports |
I would add two cautions. First, AM Insight Asia notes that anyone running a configuration the manufacturer does not claim to support carries a warranty risk, which is its opinion, and I have not seen Bambu say how it would treat a mixed-nozzle fault. Second, the same article says Bambu’s newer Authorization Control firmware requires authorisation for operations such as starting a print, and that using updated printers with outside software can mean routing jobs through Bambu Connect. If you are on recent firmware, check how your setup works before relying on a third-party slicer.
What the community thinks
The announcement thread has about 75 posts, thousands of views and nearly 300 likes on the original post, and the mood is split.
- Disappointment about the order. H2C owners are last in the queue, with February or March, and several of them are annoyed. One argued that people who paid extra for the Filament Track Switch accepted reduced capabilities and now wait longest. Another called the delay unacceptable for flagship owners, and another suggested resources are stretched across too many models. One user speculated the delay was an artificial limitation to sell H3Cs. That is speculation, and I have seen no evidence for it.
- Defence of the plan. Others said the H2D was always the first promised, that bringing a new feature to existing printers at all is a win, and that the user interface changes needed for nozzle management differ on each model.
- A wish list. Users asked for MakerWorld profiles to show nozzle requirements clearly so people can tell whether they can use them, and asked whether regions can be assigned by hand or automatically. Bambu’s 9 November post answers the second: you choose, using painting or a modifier box.
- A warning on difficulty. A user who tried the H3C build said it needs modelling and geometry knowledge, not just slicing, and that “lots of stuff reverts to auto”. Another user’s test showed a base layer height of 0.2 mm producing a 0.1 mm text layer and an unexpected 0.4 mm layer bridging over the infill, and that the prime tower was still needed. That matches what I found in my guide.
Should you wait, prepare or ignore it?
| You own… | My read |
|---|---|
| An H2D without a Filament Track Switch | You are first in line, with Bambu’s estimate being November. Plan to update Studio and firmware when it lands, and read the H3C guide first, because the same rules (strict layer-height ratios, nozzle-specific filament mapping) may apply |
| An H2D with a Filament Track Switch | Bambu’s estimate is February 2027. OrcaSlicer is the only option meanwhile, with the caveats above |
| An H2C or X2D | February 2027 without the switch, March with it, per Bambu. The wait is long, and it is reasonable to feel that is slow, though the dates may change |
| An H2D Pro, H2S, P2S or A-series | You are not named in the announcement. Single-nozzle printers have nothing to mix |
| An A1 or A2L, like me | Nothing changes for us |
If you plan to use the feature, a few preparations are worth doing now, none of which commits you to anything:
- Pick a use case. The feature pays off on models with a big body and small, localised detail, like the watch. Bambu’s own H3C wiki says so, and one test I saw found a small mixed-nozzle model took about as long as printing everything with the fine nozzle once the prime tower was included.
- Check your hotends. Bambu sells H2-series hotends in 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 mm. Its own advice is that fibre-filled filaments are prone to clog a 0.2 mm nozzle. I would hold off buying a kit until the release notes confirm which size combinations are supported.
- Know your setup. Whether you have a Filament Track Switch decides your date, so check before you plan around the estimate.
- Back up first. If you try OrcaSlicer, keep your Bambu Studio profiles and projects, and test with a small print before a long one.
What I would like to see answered
- Whether the dual-nozzle printers will get the same per-nozzle layer heights as the H3C, or a more limited version.
- How many sizes the H2C will be able to use at once with its hotend rack.
- Whether the H2D Pro will be included, and how each firmware version is affected.
- How a mixed-nozzle fault would be treated under warranty, for any slicer.
- Whether MakerWorld will show the nozzle requirements of a profile.
- Whether the H2D date holds. I will update this post when Bambu publishes release notes.
My take
I think Bambu has done the right thing, and the timing is the fair thing to argue about. Bringing a headline H3C feature to existing printers, and being open about the schedule, is better than keeping it as a reason to buy new hardware. The 9 November post, and the release of the code, suggest the work is real. But it is also true that an estimate of February for H2C and X2D owners is a long wait, and that OrcaSlicer has already given some H2D and X2D owners a way in. The detail I am watching most closely is whether the older printers get the full layer-band approach or only a simpler form, because that is what made the H3C’s version interesting. For now, the sensible plan is the dull one: decide whether you have a model that would benefit, check your Filament Track Switch situation, and wait for the release notes before spending money on hotends.
Sources and further reading
- Bambu Lab forum: Mixed Nozzle Size printing is coming to H2D, H2C, and X2D
- Bambu Lab blog: H2D, H2C and X2D will support hybrid printing with multi-orifice nozzles
- Bambu Lab blog: The “Impossible” Slice, how the H3C made mixed nozzles work on different layer heights
- Bambu Lab wiki: H3C mixed nozzle size printing guide
- Bambu Studio release notes (2.9.1, H3C first)
- OrcaSlicer 2.5.0 release notes
- OrcaSlicer wiki: V2.5.0 Alpha release notes
- AM Insight Asia: OrcaSlicer 2.5.0 Alpha adds mixed nozzle sizes for H2D and X2D
- BambuHub: OrcaSlicer 2.5 alpha and release candidate
- Makers101: OrcaSlicer 2.5.0 RC
- Technobezz: Bambu Lab H2D, H2C and X2D to support mixed nozzle sizes
- 3DPrinting.com: Bambu Lab H3C mixes layer heights on the same surface
- OrcaSlicer pull request 14125: H2D and X2D multi nozzle size printing
- 3DBite: mixed nozzle sizes on the H3C, how it works and why it matters
