Creality K3 Swaps Nozzles in 4.8 Seconds for Faster Multicolor Prints

Nozzle Swap in Under Five Seconds

Creality used IFA 2026 in Berlin to unveil a new lineup that goes well beyond the usual desktop printers. The headliner is the K3, a multicolor machine that swaps nozzles in 4.8 seconds instead of retracting and purging through a single hotend.

The KliTek system lets the printer pair different nozzle sizes in the same job. A 0.4 mm nozzle can handle outer walls while a 0.8 mm nozzle powers through infill. Creality says this arrangement increases print efficiency by up to 30 percent. With optional accessories, the machine can also print with soft TPU filaments in the 85A-95A range and combine materials of different hardness in one build.

Creality brought more than just the K3. The SPARKX i8 uses a four-channel toolhead with a 4-in-1 hotend that keeps four filaments loaded at once. The M1 Filament Maker, paired with the R1 Shredder, turns failed prints and other plastic waste into new filament, including custom blends. The M1 won an IFA Innovation Award, and the K3 was named an Honoree.

The company also showed the Ender-3 V3 Mega with a 420 mm cube build volume, two new HALOT resin printers, the Pika 3D scanner, and a line of 3D printed footwear called Nexbie.