Settings
Setting temperature, layer height, infill and more correctly.
Brim, skirt or raft: what do you need when in 3D printing?
Brim, skirt and raft compared: what each helper structure is for, which values work well and why you rarely need a raft today.
Calibrating a 3D printer: flow, pressure advance and input shaping
In what order to calibrate, what flow, pressure advance, retraction and input shaping do, and what modern printers already take care of themselves.
Choosing the right layer height: quality versus print time
Which layer height suits your print? How layer thickness, nozzle, print time and strength relate, and when variable layer heights are worthwhile.
Hiding the Z seam: setting the seam position correctly
Why every print has a seam, which seam position suits which part, how to paint the seam and what wipe, scarf seam and pressure advance do.
Print speed: how fast can I print?
Why volumetric flow and acceleration set the limit rather than the mm/s figure, how to work out your speed limit and what 500 mm/s really means.
Printing lithophanes: photos that glow when backlit
How lithophanes work, which generators exist and which settings matter: layer height, 100 % infill, orientation, white material and lighting.
Setting the part cooling fan and cooling correctly for each material
How strongly the part cooling fan should run for PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU, nylon and PC, what minimum layer time does and how to cool bridges.
Setting the print temperature: with a temperature tower
Which nozzle temperature suits your filament? How to tell too hot from too cold, and how to find the best value with a temperature tower.
Setting up infill: how much fill does your print need?
Choosing infill density and pattern: what percentage for decoration and functional parts, which pattern for what, and why walls often matter more than more infill.
Support Structures: When You Need Supports and How to Remove Them
Overhangs, bridges and supports explained: when supports are needed, normal or tree supports, the most important settings and tips for removing them cleanly.
Walls and top/bottom layers: strength and clean surfaces
How many walls and top and bottom layers you need, why they often matter more than infill, and which wall order gives clean surfaces.