Model it right, print it once
How to prepare a 3D model so it prints cleanly the first time — orientation, supports, scale, walls and everything the slicer wishes you knew.
TIP 01
Orientation
Orient your model so the strongest axis carries the load — FDM parts are strongest along layer lines and weakest between them. Put curved overhangs on top, and remember top surfaces finish better than bottoms that sit on the plate.
TIP 02
Supports
Anything steeper than ~45° from vertical needs support. Design supports out where you can: chamfers instead of 90° overhangs, teardrop-shaped holes for horizontal bores, and self-supporting angles under 45°.
TIP 03
Scale & tolerance
Model in millimetres and check the file imports at the size you expect. For parts that must fit together, leave 0.2–0.4 mm clearance per side; for press-fits, 0.1–0.15 mm. Holes print slightly small — design them 0.2 mm oversize or drill to final size.
TIP 04
Wall thickness
Keep walls at least 3–4× your nozzle width (1.2–1.6 mm for a 0.4 mm nozzle) so slicers can lay down a solid perimeter. Thin features like pins and fins below 0.8 mm will be fragile or fail to print at all.
TIP 05
Mesh health
Export a watertight, manifold mesh: no holes, no flipped normals, no zero-thickness internal walls. Run it through a repair tool first — most 'won't slice' problems are broken meshes, not printer issues.
TIP 06
Infill strategy
Display parts are happy at 10–15% infill. Functional parts should move to 40%+ or switch to gyroid/wall-heavy designs. Don't chase 100% — it adds hours and weight for very little strength gain.
TIP 07
Bridging
Bridges under ~10 mm usually print clean without supports if they're straight and short. Long or diagonal bridges sag — split the part or add a sacrificial rib you can snap off later.
Want us to handle it?
Our modeling team can repair, re-orient or fully re-design your file for printing — and every order gets a design-for-printing review before it hits the queue anyway.