How to Add a Printer in OrcaSlicer (Built-in, Custom and Network)

Short answer: To add a printer in OrcaSlicer, click the gear icon next to the Printer section, search for your model, tick it and confirm. If it is missing, choose "Create 3D printer" from the printer dropdown and enter its nozzle and bed size. To print over the network, click the Wi-Fi button beside the printer name.

This guide covers all three parts of adding a printer in OrcaSlicer: picking a built-in profile, creating a custom printer when your model is missing, and connecting OrcaSlicer to the physical printer so you can send jobs without a USB stick. It ends with what changes when a team shares many printers.

Before you start

OrcaSlicer is a free, open-source desktop slicer for Windows, macOS and Linux, available from its GitHub releases page. It began as a fork of Bambu Studio, which was built on PrusaSlicer, so the screens will look familiar if you have used either. Have these ready:

• Your printer's exact model name and nozzle diameter.
• For a custom printer: the bed size (X and Y) and the maximum print height.
• For network printing: the printer's IP address or hostname, and, for OctoPrint, an API key.

Option 1: Add a printer from the built-in profiles

On first launch, OrcaSlicer runs a setup wizard: you pick your region, then your printer or printers, then the filaments you want to use, and you can install the Bambu Network plugin. If you skipped a printer there, add it later:

1. Click the gear icon next to the Printer section in the left panel.
2. Search for your printer by brand or model.
3. Tick the box next to the printer and nozzle size you use, then confirm.
4. The printer now appears in the Printer dropdown. Select it before you slice.

Built-in profiles are the safest choice because the printable area, G-code flavor and start G-code are already set for that machine. OrcaSlicer ships profiles for many brands, including Bambu Lab, Prusa, Creality and Voron, as well as Klipper-based printers.

Option 2: Create a custom printer in OrcaSlicer

If your printer is not in the list, or you have modified it (a larger bed, a different hotend), create your own profile:

1. Open the dropdown in the Printer section and choose Create 3D printer.
2. Enter the printer's parameters: nozzle size, bed dimensions and, optionally, a bed image. Select OK.
3. Choose the filament presets and the process preset to start from, then click Create.
4. Select the new printer, click the edit (notepad) icon next to it and turn on the advanced settings toggle to check the details.

The settings worth checking on a custom printer are:

• Basic information: printable area, print height, G-code flavor and extruder clearance. A wrong G-code flavor is a common reason a file loads but the printer behaves oddly.
• Machine G-code: the start and end G-code. Copy these from the manufacturer's own profile or firmware documentation if you can.
• Extruder: nozzle diameter, layer height limits and retraction.
• Speeds: print speed, acceleration and jerk limits.

Start with a small calibration print before a long job. OrcaSlicer includes built-in calibration tests such as flow rate, pressure advance, temperature and retraction, which help tune a new profile quickly.

Option 3: Connect OrcaSlicer to your printer over the network

Adding a profile only tells OrcaSlicer how to slice. To send the sliced file straight to the printer, add a physical connection:

1. Select the printer in the Printer section and click the Wi-Fi button to the right of its name.
2. Pick the Host Type from the dropdown. For OctoPrint or Klipper printers, choose Octo/Klipper (shown as OctoPrint in some versions).
3. Enter the printer's address in the Hostname, IP or URL field, for example http://192.168.1.100.
4. For OctoPrint, paste the API key from OctoPrint's settings. For Klipper with Moonraker, any non-empty text works, because Moonraker does not check the key.
5. Click Test to check the connection, then save.

Klipper printers: uploads from OrcaSlicer go through Moonraker's OctoPrint compatibility layer. Add an [octoprint_compat] section to moonraker.conf and restart Moonraker first. If Moonraker runs on a non-default port, add it to the address, for example http://192.168.1.100:7125. Our Moonraker config guide explains the file section by section.

Bambu Lab printers: OrcaSlicer includes Bambu Lab profiles and can send jobs either over the local network or through Bambu's network plugin, installed in the setup wizard. If you are choosing between the two slicers for Bambu machines, see OrcaSlicer vs Bambu Studio. For managing a group of them, see our Bambu Lab software page.

Common problems when adding a printer

• My printer is not in the list. Search by brand only, as model names vary. If it is still missing, create a custom printer starting from the closest model from the same brand.
• The connection test fails. Check that the computer and printer are on the same network, open the printer's IP address in a browser to confirm it answers, and add the port if your host uses a non-default one.
• The upload works but the print does not start. Check whether the slicer's "start print after upload" option is turned on.
• Prints are offset or cut off. The printable area or bed origin in the custom profile does not match the real bed. Re-check the bed dimensions.

Adding printers for a team, not just one desk

Each OrcaSlicer install keeps its own printer list and connections. That is fine for one person, but in a school lab, makerspace or print farm it means every user sets up every printer, and nobody sees who is printing where. A management layer fixes that: printers are added once, and users send jobs to shared queues with the right permissions.

3DPrinterOS is 3D printer management software that does this across brands. According to our OrcaSlicer comparison page, OrcaSlicer 2.4.0-beta and later include a 3DPrinterOS print host, so people who prefer OrcaSlicer on their desktop can keep using it. Users who do not want to install anything can slice in the browser with the online slicer. For larger groups of machines, see 3D printer farm management.

Frequently asked questions

How do I add a printer in OrcaSlicer?

Click the gear icon next to the Printer section, search for your printer, tick it and confirm. It then appears in the Printer dropdown. If your model is not listed, choose "Create 3D printer" from that dropdown instead.

How do I add a custom printer in OrcaSlicer?

Open the Printer dropdown, choose "Create 3D printer", enter the nozzle size and bed dimensions, select OK, then choose filament and process presets and click Create. Check the printable area, print height and G-code flavor before printing.

How do I connect OrcaSlicer to a Klipper printer?

Add an [octoprint_compat] section to moonraker.conf and restart Moonraker. In OrcaSlicer, click the Wi-Fi button next to the printer, set Host Type to Octo/Klipper, enter the printer's IP address and any text as the API key, then click Test.

Can OrcaSlicer send prints to Bambu Lab printers?

Yes. OrcaSlicer includes Bambu Lab printer profiles and can send jobs over the local network or through Bambu's network plugin.

Can I use OrcaSlicer with 3DPrinterOS?

Yes. OrcaSlicer 2.4.0-beta and later include a 3DPrinterOS print host. Teams can also slice in the browser with the 3DPrinterOS cloud slicer and manage every printer, user and job from one dashboard.