🧩 Lesson: Layer Height, Supports, Infill, and Print Settings
🖨️ Focus: Understanding the core slicer settings that control the quality, strength, and speed of your 3D prints
✅ Summary
Slicer settings like layer height, support structures, infill patterns, and general print parameters determine how your model prints and performs. This lesson breaks down each setting to help students understand how to achieve the best results for different applications—from decorative prints to structural prototypes.
🎯 Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, learners will be able to:
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Define and adjust layer height for resolution and speed trade-offs
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Configure support generation for overhangs and complex geometry
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Choose appropriate infill patterns and density based on model usage
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Tweak print settings (speed, temperature, shell thickness) for quality and material compatibility
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Recognize how these settings interact and influence print success
📘 Lesson
🟪 1. Layer Height – Print Resolution
Definition: Layer height is the vertical thickness of each individual layer your printer lays down.
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Standard FDM range: 0.12 mm – 0.3 mm
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Typical SLA range: 0.025 mm – 0.1 mm
Layer Height | Print Speed | Detail | Use Case |
---|---|---|---|
0.3 mm | Very fast | Low | Drafts, prototypes |
0.2 mm | Balanced | Medium | Functional prints, general use |
0.1 mm | Slower | High | Detailed models, miniatures |
0.05 mm | Very slow | Ultra | Resin prints, precision parts |
🔍 Tip: Lower layer heights = better detail but longer print times.
🟧 2. Supports – Printing Overhangs and Bridges
Supports are temporary structures that allow the printer to handle steep angles, bridges, or floating features.
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Overhang threshold: Usually anything > 45° from vertical
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Bridge: Horizontal spans across empty space
Types of Supports:
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Normal/Linear: Stronger but uses more filament
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Tree-style (in Cura): Saves material and easier to remove
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Custom/manual: Best for delicate models (available in PrusaSlicer, Chitubox, etc.)
Support Settings:
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Overhang angle threshold (e.g., 45°)
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Support density: More dense = better support but harder to remove
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Z-distance: Gap between model and support; too low = stuck, too high = droopy
🛠️ For SLA: Always tilt the model and manually place supports under islands or overhangs to avoid suction failure and warping.
🟨 3. Infill – Internal Structure of Your Print
Infill affects strength, weight, material use, and print speed.
Infill % | Strength | Use Case |
---|---|---|
0–15% | Weak | Visual models, display items |
20–35% | Medium | Light-use parts |
40–60% | Strong | Functional parts, gadgets |
70–100% | Very strong | Load-bearing tools, mounts |
Infill Patterns:
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Grid: Fast and decent strength
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Cubic: 3D strength, good for stress
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Gyroid: Even strength, visually appealing
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Lines/Triangle: Quick prints with moderate durability
📌 More infill = longer print time and more material. Try balancing with thicker walls instead.
🟩 4. Shells, Speed, and Temperature Settings
🛡️ Shells (Walls):
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Wall count: 2–4 recommended
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Wall thickness: Should be a multiple of nozzle diameter (e.g., 0.8 mm for 0.4 mm nozzle)
⚡ Print Speed:
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Standard speed: 40–60 mm/s
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High speed: 80–150 mm/s (with Klipper or CoreXY printers)
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Slower speeds = better detail, fewer errors
🌡️ Temperature:
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Depends on filament type (FDM) or resin brand (SLA)
Material | Nozzle Temp | Bed Temp |
---|---|---|
PLA | 190–220°C | 50–60°C |
PETG | 220–250°C | 70–85°C |
ABS | 230–260°C | 90–110°C |
Resin | Depends on printer LCD exposure time and resin brand |
🧠 Summary
These core slicer settings form the foundation of every successful print. Understanding how they work together helps you achieve:
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Clean prints with smooth surfaces
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Functional parts with proper strength
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Optimized print time and material use
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Fewer failures due to poor supports or weak geometry
🧩 Optional Activity
Assignment:
Use your favorite slicer (Cura, Chitubox, Orca) to:
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Load a calibration cube
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Adjust layer height, infill (20% gyroid), and supports
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Slice and preview the toolpath
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Export and reflect on how changes affect print time and appearance