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As you grow your factory in Factorio, you’ll find that your production needs increase significantly while you strive to generate more Science for new technology research. One effective way to speed up this expansion is by utilizing Blueprints, allowing you to create identical copies of specific sections of your factory.
You have the option to create your own Blueprint by duplicating a part of your factory or by using designs made by other players. To use someone else’s Blueprints, you first need to import them into your game. Here’s how to import and utilize another player’s Blueprints.
The instructions for importing Blueprints below are specifically for the PC version of the game, as importing Blueprint strings is not available on the Switch.
How to Import Blueprints
When you export a Blueprint, it gets saved as a text string. To import one, click the Import String button on your hotbar and paste the string for the desired Blueprint. This action places the Blueprint into your hand, allowing you to either deploy it immediately in the game or save it in your inventory as a Blueprint Book for future use.
You can find Blueprints shared by other players on websites such as Factorio Prints, request them from other players, or even use ones saved in your own files.
How to Use Imported Blueprints
To utilize the Blueprint you’ve imported, click on it in your inventory to select it. This action creates a ghost version of all elements within the Blueprint, allowing you to initiate its placement in the game. This ghost serves as a guide for constructing machines or, more commonly, directs robots to build it for you, provided that the required materials are accessible in their logistics network.
If your Blueprint is located in a Blueprint Book along with other designs, you can right-click the Blueprint Book to reveal a list of all the Blueprints stored within and select whichever individual Blueprint you wish to use. You can also navigate between active Blueprints by using Shift + Mouse Wheel.