What is this?

AnySpool lets you program blank NFC stickers so your Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 (or any CANVAS-compatible printer) recognises third-party filament. Pick a filament from the catalog, generate the tag data, and write it to a cheap NTAG213 sticker — done in under a minute.

Why does this exist?

Elegoo ships filament spools with built-in RFID tags that tell the printer what material is loaded — temperature, colour, weight, and more. If you use a spool without a tag, CANVAS can't auto-detect it and you lose features like automatic temperature presets and remaining-weight tracking.

Elegoo's RFID system is open — they publish the full tag specification and blank NTAG213 stickers cost around 5 cents each. AnySpool turns that spec into a one-tap workflow: select, generate, write.

What you need

• 1Blank NTAG213 stickers— available on Amazon or AliExpress for a few cents each. Make sure it says "NTAG213" (not 215 or 216).
• 2A phone with NFC — Android or iPhone. Most phones made after 2018 have it.
• 3NFC Tools app (iOS only) — free from the App Store. Android users can write directly from the browser or use the Play Store version.

Step-by-step

1. 1
   Pick a filament

   Use the filter bar or search to find your material and colour. The catalog currently covers Elegoo's own filament range.

2. 2
   Tap "Write NFC Tag"

   AnySpool generates the full NTAG213 payload in your browser — the exact same data format that Elegoo puts on their own spool tags. Nothing leaves your device.

3. 3
   Write the tag

   Android: Chrome can write directly — just hold your sticker to the back of the phone. Or copy the hex commands into NFC Tools.

   iPhone:Copy the hex commands, open NFC Tools → Other → Advanced RFID Commands, paste, and tap Write. Hold the sticker near the top of your phone (by the camera).

4. 4
   Stick it on your spool

   Place the written sticker anywhere on the spool — the RFID reader on the Centauri Carbon 2 is inside the filament bay. CANVAS will detect it automatically on the next load.

iOS: detailed walkthrough

iOS restricts direct NFC hardware access, so the write goes via the free NFC Tools app by Wakdev. The whole thing takes about 10 seconds once it's installed.

1. 1
   Find your filament and tap "Write NFC Tag"

   Select your filament from the catalog. The detail panel slides up at the bottom — tap the green WRITE NFC TAG button.

   

2. 2
   Tap "Copy Hex Commands"

   The iOS write dialog opens and shows you the 3-step workaround. Tap the green COPY HEX COMMANDSbutton. The button turns to "Commands copied to clipboard!" — that's your confirmation.

   

   

3. 3
   Open NFC Tools and tap "Other"

   Switch to NFC Tools. On the home screen tap Other.

   Don't tap "Write"— that path asks for a content type (text/plain, URL, etc.) and is for standard NDEF records. It won't work here.

   

4. 4
   Tap "Advanced NFC commands"

   In the Other menu, tap Advanced NFC commands at the bottom of the list.

   

5. 5
   Paste the commands into the Data field

   Tap the Data field (it shows placeholder text like 90 60 ...) and long-press to paste. The full sequence of A2 commands will fill the field.

   

   

6. 6
   Tap the search icon, then hold your tag

   Tap the magnifying glassicon next to the Data field. NFC Tools shows a "Ready to Scan" dialog listing all 14 commands. Hold your blank NTAG213 sticker to the top of your iPhone, near the camera. A checkmark confirms success.

   

   

7. 7
   Stick it on your spool

   Place the written sticker anywhere on the spool. The RFID reader inside the Centauri Carbon 2's filament bay will detect it automatically on the next load.

How the RFID system works

Each Elegoo spool tag is a standard NXP NTAG213 chip — the same type used in transit cards and smart posters. It holds 144 bytes of user memory, of which Elegoo uses about 36 bytes to store filament metadata:

• Material type and subtype (e.g. PLA+, PETG Rapid)
• Colour (RGB value)
• Recommended print temperature range
• Filament diameter and spool weight
• Production date

The data is unencrypted and the tags have no password protection. When the printer powers on or detects a spool change, it reads pages 16–24 of the NFC tag memory and applies the settings. AnySpool writes this exact data structure onto blank stickers.

Privacy & security

All tag data is generated client-side in your browser using JavaScript. No filament data, NFC payloads, or personal information is ever sent to a server. The site uses no cookies and no user tracking beyond anonymous Vercel Analytics pageview counts.

FAQ