The QIDI Q2 runs on Klipper firmware, which is worth knowing before you pick a slicer. QIDI’s own QIDI Studio is the default option, with profiles built specifically for the printer, but because the Q2 uses Klipper, QIDI also confirms it works with OrcaSlicer and PrusaSlicer as third party alternatives.
Setting up QIDI Studio starts on first launch, where you choose your region, then add the printer model or models you own, then set the filament types you plan to print with, which get saved as filament presets for later projects. From there, starting a new job means clicking Create New Project or Prepare, then loading a model with the Add button or the Ctrl+I shortcut. The software accepts .3mf, .stl, .step, .amf and .obj files.
Before slicing anything, three presets need to line up: the printer preset, which should match both the Q2 and the nozzle diameter actually installed, the filament preset for whatever is loaded, and the process preset, which sets layer height. QIDI Studio lets you build a custom preset if none of the defaults fit what you are printing.
Clicking Slice Plate generates the G-code and switches over to the Preview tab, where you can see how the sliced model looks, how much filament it will use, an estimated print time, and a layer by layer slider to check the print before committing to it. From there you can send the job straight to the printer with Print Plate or Send over the network, which requires the Q2 to be connected, or export the G-code and carry it over on a USB drive, inserting it and picking the file from the printer’s own screen.
QIDI warns that a software setup mismatched to the real hardware, meaning the wrong filament type, printer preset, or nozzle size, can cause a failed print or a clogged nozzle. It is worth double checking all three presets against what is actually loaded in the machine before slicing.
As for OrcaSlicer and PrusaSlicer specifically, QIDI’s wiki does not walk through a step by step setup for either one beyond confirming that the Q2’s Klipper firmware makes it compatible with both. Anyone used to those slicers from other printers should be able to add the Q2 as a machine profile, but a documented, QIDI approved procedure for doing so is not something the company currently publishes.
With QIDI Studio configured and a printer profile matched to the Q2, slicing decisions like infill still apply the same way they do on any FDM printer; the infill guide covers how pattern and percentage affect strength and print time. Once a plate is sliced and ready, the Q2 first print walkthrough covers sending that first job to the printer.