Boasting a new print head design that channels two filament feeds through a single nozzle, the CR-X is the first dual extruder 3D printer for Creality.

Initially teased in an announcement video that detailed the major step changes, Creality then released the printer to YouTube influencers, with Maker’s Muse and 3D Printing Nerd topping a short list of notable names going hands on with the printer first.

Their verdict? Mixed. Both channels took issue with different aspects of the CR-X and its build process, but the main takeaway is the lack of auto-bed leveling; lamentable on a machine that commands a considerably higher price point ($799) than Creality’s (and even the competition’s) previous 3D printers.

Despite the high visibility of the machine with numerous YouTube channels, the public will have to wait until the CR-x starts shipping in August.

Available for preorder on the likes of Gearbest, it is only recently that we have gotten a good look at exactly what this machine is. To begin with we’ll focus on the USP of the Creality CR-X — dual extrusion.

Two spool holders mounted atop the CR-X feed into two extruders, which are situated on both ends of the X-axis rail. From here, the two filaments pass through PTFE tubes into a single Y-splitter feeding into the CR-X’s hot end, before extrusion through a single 0.4mm nozzle.

Such a system relies upon arguably wasteful purge towers, or more experimental measures like purge- infill and objects in order to print clean breaks between the materials.

There’s no indication of any particular software shipping with the Creality CR-X for the preparation of dual extrusion prints, so chances are you’ll need familiarize yourself with your preferred slicer’s options.

The Creality CR-X features a 300 x 300 x 400mm print area, akin to that of the CR-10 before it. New for the CR-X however, is the inclusion of a coated glass bed that is not too dissimilar from Anycubic’s Ultrabase.

Creality describes the bed as being a “carboloy silicon printing platform”, which honestly seems like marketing fluff rather than anything particularly meaningful. Bottom line, it grips prints when hot and releases them when cool.

It would appear from the renderings we see of the printer that the print bed’s travel along the Y-axis is well supported, with the load spread and running over dual 2020 extrusions on eight pulleys.

A welcome new feature aimed at keeping things neat and tidy when the machine is in operation is a lone ribbon cable connecting the base unit to the X-axis stepper, dual extruders and hot end.

All of the guts of the Creality CR-X are located in the base, beneath the print bed. For interacting with the machine Creality has opted for a 4-inch color LCD touchscreen, which is found front and center on the base unit.

Interestingly, the Z-axis motion is handled by a belt-driven dual lead screw getup. A single stepper motor provides the power directly to the left lead screw, with a toothed pulley and belt system in turn driving a second lead screw on the right hand side of the printer. A necessary step, we suspect, given the additional weight of a second extruder motor on the X-axis rail.

To cap things off, over-sized bed screws allow for fine tuning when leveling the print bed.