Turn a Cheap Touchscreen Into a Command Center for Your Prusa Printers
Ever wished you could glance at a single screen and instantly see how every 3D printer in your workshop is doing? A new open-source firmware project makes exactly that possible, and it runs on touchscreens that cost less than a couple rolls of filament.
Most modern Prusa printers can already connect to your home network. That means they can report their status, temperatures, and print progress to Prusa's phone app or web dashboard. The catch is that you are usually hopping between your phone and a browser tab to keep an eye on things. If you run more than one machine, that juggling act gets old fast.
This is where the clever part comes in. Makers have created custom firmware for two popular budget touchscreens, the BigTreeTech K-Touch and the Panda Touch. These little gadgets were originally built to control printers running Klipper, but the new firmware teaches them to speak Prusa's language too. Once flashed, the screen connects to your printers over your local network or through the Prusa Connect cloud, and it mimics the look of Prusa's official interface so everything feels familiar.
Getting started is friendlier than it sounds. You grab a ready-to-flash image from the project, load it onto your supported touchscreen using one of the documented methods, then point it at your printers. Because both screens are powered by the common ESP32 chip, they are reliable and easy to work with. The firmware even keeps its original talents, so it can still manage Klipper machines and cloud-connected Bambu Lab printers from the same dashboard.
Try it on your printer! Whether you are nursing an older Prusa MK3 or running a brand-new CORE One, a dedicated status display is one of the most satisfying upgrades you can add to your bench. Want more beginner-friendly tips, filament, and gear to level up your setup? Visit Flarelab and make your next print your best one yet.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be tech-savvy to flash the firmware?
Not really. The project provides ready-to-flash images and step-by-step methods, so if you can follow a short guide and connect a USB cable, you can do it.
Which touchscreens are supported?
The firmware currently supports the BigTreeTech K-Touch and the Panda Touch, both of which run on the widely used ESP32 chip.
Will it work with printers other than Prusa?
Yes. The firmware keeps its original Klipper support and can also connect to cloud-linked Bambu Lab printers, though Bambu setups can take a little extra configuration.
Does my Prusa printer need to be online?
The display connects either over your local network or through the Prusa Connect cloud, so your printer needs a network connection, but it does not have to rely on the cloud if you prefer local control.
Inspired by reporting from Hackaday. Rewritten and curated by Flarelab. Original source: Hackaday.