Slicer settings are critical to a strong print. All of our new releases contain detailed information on the settings to use. This page will be an overview of slicer settings, what they are and what they do. This page is intended to be a resource to familiarize you with the settings involved in slicing. Be sure to always follow the recommended settings in the documentation for each design.
WHAT IS SLICING:
Slicing is the process that converts the 3D design files to a list of instructions that the 3D printer then follows to make the part. 3D design files are generally in the form of a vector file, commonly used is the STL file. Vector files are composed a a mesh of triangles, the position of each vertex being recorded in the file. 3D printers have no way of interpreting this file, and that is why slicing exists. If you are familiar with CNC machining, slicing is the equivalent of CAM software. Slicer settings are the variables that are set during the slicing process to determine how the part will be printed. These are things like speeds, temperatures, and the height of each layer.
Slicers come in the form of a software program that runs on your computer. There are a number of options available, we highly recommend Prusa Slicer. All of our tutorials use this slicer, though the basic settings can be used in any slicer.
EXTRUSION SETTINGS:
These are the settings that effect the size of the individual extrusion lines. These settings are driven by the diameter of the nozzle installed on the printer.
The nozzle diameter is the physical diameter of the nozzle installed on the printer. A larger nozzle results in faster prints with less details. 0.4 mm is the standard size, and what all of our designs are intended to be printed with unless otherwise noted.
Line width is the width of each extrusion line. The wider the line width, the more plastic is extruded into each line, and the farther the lines are apart. Wider line width results in better layer adhesion at the cost of less line to line adhesion. The outer perimeter line width is typically set to a lower value than the interior lines widths, as it produces a more detailed print. a line width equal to the nozzle diameter is normal for the outside perimeter and top layer, and a line width equal to 1.25 times the nozzle diameter is typical for the rest of the print.
Layer height is the height of each layer. A larger layer height results in a faster print at the cost of layer adhesion and detail. The 0.5 times the nozzle diameter is typically used, though you can go lower for a more detailed print with less visible layers.
The extrusion multiplier is how much plastic is extruded for a given amount of movement by the nozzle. The multiplier should theoretically be set to one, but in practice a little more or less plastic may be needed to properly fill the print.
GEOMETRIC SETTINGS:
These are the settings relating to the number of walls, type of infill, and other macro scale adjustments. These settings are very dependent on the part you are printing, so be sure to follow the designers recommendations.
Wall count is the number of concentric perimeters are extruded around the part. Other than the considerations specific to the part, the only other consideration with wall count is that a higher wall count will result in more curling on overhangs. Making for poor surface finish or failed prints. More cooling may be needed.
Infill is the fill that is placed on the interior of the walls. It can have various designs and densities. 100% is a solid part. For infill levels less than 100% density, triangle infill is recommended.
Top and bottom layers are the caps that cover the top and bottom surfaces of a print. For 100% infill prints, these can be only a couple layers, but for lower infill amounts these layers act in a similar way to the walls to enclose the infill, more layers may be needed.
SPEED SETTINGS:
The speed at which the part is printed is determined by the speed settings. Slow and steady results in a better print, this means low speeds and low accelerations. Depending on your printer you may be able to increase the the acceleration without issue, but low speeds are always recommended to insure the best layer adhesion. Unless you are doing production printing, fast prints are a gimmick for those with insufficient patience.
THERMAL SETTINGS:
The temperatures of the hot end and print bed, as well as the amount of cooling used. These values depend highly on the filament being used. It is best to start with the manufactures recommendations.
We have composed a quick reference sheet that covers all of these settings on one printable page. It can be downloaded from Odysee here.