3D printing may sound like an easy thing to do.
Unfortunately, many things can go wrong and negatively affect the print quality or cause a complete print failure.
The best place to start to avoid quality issues is to stick to the manufacturers advice.
Each printer will come with setup instructions and configuration recommendations.
They will have the most experience with the intricacies of their printer models.
Its also a great idea to keep your printers firmware and your slicer software up to date.
Not only will you get the latest features, but youll also get bug fixes and performance optimizations.
Contents
Maintain and Calibrate Your Printer
To get good results, your printer needs to be clean.
Old plastic stuck to the nozzle can interfere with your current print or clog up the nozzle.
Natural oils from your fingerprints can prevent the extruded plastic from sticking to the print bed properly.
When youre cleaning your printer, its also good to perform some light maintenance.
You should ensure that stationary parts are held tightly in place and that moving parts can move smoothly.
The first few layers set up the rest of the print for success or failure.
Optimize print Speed
Print speed is an important setting for quality results.
Too fast, and vibrations can leave ringing artifacts in your print.
Too slow, and the heat from the nozzle can cause printed plastic to re-melt.
Conclusion
When trying to resolve print issues, patients can often be important.
This way, you know what setting fixed or helped to resolve your issue for the future.
