1

3D Printing Reference Guide

Spring 2022
 2

Table of 3D Printing General Overview 3

FDM Printing 4
Contents FDM Slicing Software 5
Getting Started with Cura 6
FDM Print Settings 7
Estimating FDM costs in Cura 8
FDM Quality vs Speed 9
Low Resolution/Fast Print 10
High Resolution/Slow Print 11
FDM Supports 12

SLA Printing 13
SLA Slicing Software 14
SLA Print Settings 15
SLA Printability 15
Estimating SLA costs in PreForm 16
SLA Quality vs Speed 17
Low Resolution/Fast Print 18
High Resolution/Slow Print 19
SLA Supports 20
 3

Welcome to the wonderful world of 3D printing! In this

3D Printing document, you will find information about 3D file
preparation, printing specifications and best practices.
General
The process of printing in 3D involves several steps:
Overview 1. You’ll need a 3D model! You can make your own in
various 3D modeling softwares (Fusion 360, Rhinoceros,
TinkerCAD, etc), or you can source models from online
libraries like thingiverse.
2. Export your 3D model as an .STL file. See our tutorial
documents for exporting the STL in your preferred
software.
3. Assign print settings to your STL with a “slicing” software,
such as Cura for FDM prints, or Preform for SLA prints.
4. Print!

Select the best 3D Printing technology for your model size,

geometry and budget. FDM printing is often less expensive and
of a lower quality. Click here to learn more about FDM printing
and SLA printing.

Take a look at the Lab’s 3D printing detailed video of file setup

for 3D printing.

A 3D Printed Articulated Kuka Robot arm.

 4

FDM Printing
 5

A 3D slicing software is the in-between step after modeling and

FDM Slicing before printing. The slicer interprets the STL’s array of polygons
into printable, layered toolpaths (toolpaths = specific locations
Software where the machine travels and does its thing). The slicing
software can estimate the duration of 3D printing time and the
amount of material that will be used.

The Design + Technology Lab’s slicer of choice for our FDM

printers is Simplify 3D. We use PreForm with our SLA printers.

If you want to preview your FDM print in a slicer, try Ultimaker

Cura (it’s free).

Previewing your prints with a slicer allows you to get helpful

information, such as:

● Quantity of detail / resolution being printed

● Where support material will be applied
● Time required to complete the print
● Areas that will be too thin to print successfully (details
smaller than 1mm may not print cleanly)
● Object scale (The maximum printing volume of the Lab’s
FDM printers is 300 x 300 x 400mm)
● The orientation of your object in relation to the print
“grain” (see page 7)
● “Printability” errors with your model
 6

Ultimaker Cura is a free slicer for FDM prints. Upon

Getting Started downloading the software, it will ask you to Create an Account,
with Cura this is optional and can be skipped using the icon at the
bottom right of the page.

Under the Add a Printer Menu, select Add a Non-Networked

Printer. A menu will appear with printer models. The Lab uses a
printer called “Artillery Sidewinder X1”.

Click here for full Cura tutorial. (Skip to section 3: Cura 3D Quick
Start Guide)

In the top right side of the main Cura interface, you’ll find a
drop-down menu for different print settings. This is where you’ll
get to define the material quality of your print.

To explain some of the setting options, let’s take a look at the

pertinent parts of the printer and printing process.

Filament: The PLA plastic filament

at the Lab is 1.75mm in diameter.
The filament size does not impact
the print quality.

Hot end nozzle: The hot end nozzles

at the Lab have a diameter of
0.4mm. This dictates the thickest
possible layer height.

Layer thickness: The layer thickness

or layer height refers to the height
of each layer in mm.

Wall thickness: The wall thickness

refers to the thickness of the
surface of the printed object.
 7
Layer thickness or height refers to the height of each layer in
FDM Print mm. Higher values produce faster prints in lower resolution,
Settings lower values produce slower prints in higher resolution. The
layer thickness/height can span anywhere from 0.05mm to
0.4mm, though it is recommended to be between 0.12mm -
0.22mm.

3D printers build up prints in a series of thin horizontal layers.

Make sure you keep this in mind when orienting your model:
critical details should be oriented parallel to the build platform.

If the object will be under pressure, it is important to consider

the orientation of the “grain”, as it affects the object's strength.

Tension load normal to layers: Tension load parallel to layers:

Part is weak Part is strong

Wall thickness refers to the thickness of the surface of the

printed object. The wall thickness has to be greater than or
equal to the layer thickness, and is recommended to be a
multiple of the nozzle diameter.
 8
Infill is an unseen interior structure of 3D prints that plays a very
important role in the overall strength of your model. Infill is
responsible for connecting the outer shells of your 3D print. The
Lab can print your object with 6-36% infill. You can specify your
infill preferences when submitting a print job with the Lab.

For models that require more strength or need to be assembled

with other parts, it is best to select a higher print density to
ensure they can sustain enough applied forces. For projects that
are for prototyping or visualization purposes, a low print density
will suffice.

Estimating FDM costs in Cura

At the Lab, SLA prints are priced based on their weight. For FDM
prints, the Lab charges $0.10 / gram of PLA plastic.

Once you have oriented your model, added supports, assigned

print quality and infill, Cura will calculate the approximate
duration and weight of your 3D print.
 9

FDM Quality vs Speed

The quality of a 3D print is impacted by the height of each layer. You can think about print quality
like the “resolution” of an image. Low resolution is more “pixelated.” High resolution is more
detailed. You can read more information about the specifics below. The Lab offers three quality
options for 3D printing: Low, Medium and High quality.

Low Resolution FDM High Resolution FDM

 10

Low Resolution/Fast Print

Lower quality will print faster. Printing at a low
quality increases the height of each layer of the
object. This does not affect the final size of your
object. Thicker layers do not allow for fine
surface detail and the layered texture is more
visible. The walls of a low quality print will be
slightly thicker and use slightly more plastic.

The above image shows the Lab’s FDM print settings (in Simplify 3D)
for low quality prints. The layer height is set to 0.2 mm.
 11

High Resolution/Slow Print

Higher quality will print slower. Printing at a high
quality decreases the height of each layer. This
does not affect the final size of your object. Thinner
layers look smoother and can be more detailed.
The walls of a high quality print will be slightly
thinner and use slightly less plastic.

The above image shows the Lab’s FDM print settings (in Simplify 3D)
for high quality prints. The layer height is set to 0.12mm.
 12
When the plastic comes out of the printing nozzle, it is liquified
FDM and does not hold its shape well. Each new layer must be
supported by the layer beneath it. If your model has an
Supports overhang which is not supported by anything below, there’s a
good chance it will droop. To avoid this, it is recommended to
use additional 3D printed support structures called “supports”.

Supports increase the material weight and duration of the

print. They can cause little imperfections in the object’s
surface, and can be a hassle to remove.

The Lab recommends using “flush angle cutters” to help

remove stubborn support material.

Flush Angle Cutters

The above image compares the weight of an FDM 3D print before and after the supports are removed.
 13

SLA Printing
 14

A 3D slicing software is the in-between step after modeling and

SLA Slicing before printing. The slicer interprets the STL’s array of polygons
into printable, layered toolpaths (toolpaths = specific locations
Software where the machine travels and does it’s thing). The slicing
software can estimate the duration of 3D printing time and the
amount of material that will be used.

The Design + Technology Lab’s slicer of choice for our SLA

printer is PreForm. This slicer is free! The Lab encourages you to
preview your SLA print in PreForm prior to printing to get helpful
information, such as:

● Quantity of detail / resolution being printed

● Where support material will be applied
● Time required to complete the print
● Areas that will be too thin to print successfully (details
smaller than 1mm may not print cleanly)
● Object scale (The maximum SLA printing volume is 145 x
145 x 175 mm)
● The orientation of your object in relation to the print
“grain” (see page 15)
● “Printability” errors with your model
 15
Although FDM printing is cheaper and the preferred process for
SLA Print Settings most models, the SLA printing technology offers a much higher
print resolution quality than its counterpart.

When printing using SLA technology, each consecutive layer is

hardened as a solid layer. This means that the final overall 3D
printed object is completely solid on the interior: there are no
wall thickness or infill settings. This makes the slicing process
more straightforward, compared to FDM.

Applying print settings in PreForm is as simple as:

1. Selecting your preferred layer thickness (see pages 17-19)
2. Apply auto-generated support structures (see page 20)

If you want to print a hollow model, you can use a mesh-editing

software to hollow-out your .STL file to print a shell only
(instructions linked). This saves on unnecessary material cost.

SLA Printability
Check out this article for helpful SLA design tips!

3D printers build up prints in a series of thin horizontal layers.

Make sure you keep this in mind when orienting your model:
critical details should be oriented parallel to the build platform.

Due to the physical nature of SLA printing, there is often the

chance of your print “suction cupping” against the resin tank.
This phenomenon occurs when there is a cavity or hollow
portion of your object.

To avoid “suction cupping”, use a 3D design software to either fill

the hollow or add drainage holes to minimize suction during
printing.
 16

Estimating SLA costs in PreForm

When a model is imported and support structures added, you’ll
be able to see the time and material details of your print. These
details can be used to estimate the cost of your print (explained
below).

At the Lab, SLA prints are priced based on their weight. For SLA
prints, the Lab charges $0.33 / gram of plastic. The PreForm
software calculates the volume (mL) of resin that will be printed.
Formlabs resin weighs approximately 1 g/mL. You can use that
approximation to estimate the print’s total weight.
 17

SLA Quality vs Speed

The quality of a 3D print is impacted by the height of each layer. You can think about print quality
like the “resolution” of an image. Low resolution is more “pixelated.” High resolution is more
detailed. You can read more information about the specifics below. The Lab offers three quality
options for 3D printing: Low, Medium and High quality.

Low Resolution SLA (supports removed) High Resolution SLA (with supports)
 18

Low Resolution/Fast Print

Lower quality will print faster. Printing at a
low quality increases the height of each
layer of the object. This does not affect the
final size of your object. Thicker layers do not
allow for fine surface detail and the layered
texture is more visible.

The above image shows the Lab’s SLA print settings for low quality prints. The layer height is set to 0.1 mm.
 19

High Resolution/Slow Print

Higher quality will print slower. Printing at a
high quality decreases the height of each
layer. This does not affect the final size of your
object. Thinner layers look smoother and can
be more detailed.

The above image shows the Lab’s SLA print settings for high quality prints. The layer height is set to
0.025 mm.
 20

Each new layer must be supported by the layer beneath it. If

SLA Supports your model has overhangs which are not supported by a
previous layer, there’s a good chance it will print poorly. To
avoid this, it is recommended to use additional 3D printed
support structures called “supports”.

Supports increase the material weight and duration of the

print. They can cause little imperfections in the object’s
surface, and can be a hassle to remove.

The Lab recommends using “flush angle cutters” to help

remove stubborn support material.
Flush Angle Cutters

The above image compares the weight of an SLA 3D print before and after the supports are removed.