Our tips for better 3D printing are:

  • Model watertight solids. Ensure every part is a closed, manifold body (no gaps, self-intersections, flipped normals, or duplicate faces). If you’re starting from surfaces, stitch them into a watertight solid using Ashlar-Vellum’s advanced tools before export.
  • Choose your export format wisely: STL is the safe, widely supported choice, but it’s a unitless triangle mesh. STEP keeps exact CAD solids (with units) and, if your slicer supports STEP import, it can triangulate curves optimally at import; some slicers can also emit true G2/G3 arcs in the G-code (turning curves into circles/arcs instead of many tiny line segments), which can smooth motion and shrink file size. If STEP isn’t supported in your slicer, export a carefully tuned STL and keep the STEP file as your master.
  • Understand the resolution the 3D printer:
    • Configure the 3D mesh file to be generally twice as fine as the smallest increments on the machine.
    Take advantage of Ashlar-Vellum software’s unique ability to control the meshing parameters for each part within the file. Copy the model to a mesh within Ashlar-Vellum 3D modeling software and adjust each part individually, rather than simply exporting the entire thing to an STL file.
  • Make the mesh file as “light” as possible vis-à-vis the complexity of your shape for more reliability on the 3D printer. Lighter files have:
    • Fewer facets
    • Courser meshes
    • Flat planes
    • Straight edges
    • Smaller file size
  • Minimize the Use of Supports. Design parts to reduce overhangs whenever possible. Supports add extra print time, increase material waste, and require post-processing. Instead, use design features such as chamfers, fillets, or self-supporting angles (typically 45° or less).
  • Control Wall Thickness and Infill. Thick walls don’t always mean solid strength — most printers will generate a solid outer shell with an internal infill pattern. Adjust wall thickness and infill density in your slicer settings to balance strength, weight, and print time. Test different values to find the optimal setup for your parts.
  • Consider Print Orientation. 3D printed parts are anisotropic — their strength depends on the layer orientation. A part printed along its length may be weaker than one printed across layers. When designing and orienting your part, think about how forces will be applied and position the model to maximize strength where it matters most.