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Student Material 001: Slicer Settings Quick Reference Guide

Material ID: U1M3-MAT-001 Purpose: Quick reference guide for common FDM slicer settings, recommended values, and material-specific configurations Format: Reference tables and comparison charts Updated: 2026-03-19

Layer Height Reference

Quality Level Layer Height Typical Use Case Time Multiplier
Ultra-Fine 0.08mm Miniatures, high-detail display 4-5x
Fine 0.12mm Presentation models, visible surfaces 2.5-3x
Standard 0.20mm General purpose, functional parts 1x (baseline)
Draft 0.28mm Quick prototypes, fit checks 0.6-0.7x
Speed Draft 0.32mm Rough prototypes, jigs 0.5x

Rule: Max layer height = 75% of nozzle diameter (0.30mm for 0.4mm nozzle)

Infill Pattern Comparison

Pattern Strength (Isotropic) Material Use Print Speed Best Application
Grid Medium Medium Fast General purpose
Gyroid High (equal all directions) Medium Medium Functional parts, flexible parts
Triangles High (directional) Medium Fast Load-bearing in specific direction
Cubic High Medium-High Medium All-around mechanical parts
Lightning Very Low Very Low Fast Display-only models
Concentric Medium (shell-like) Low-Medium Fast Transparent/flexible prints
Honeycomb High Medium-High Slow Maximum strength-to-weight

Infill Density Guide

Density Use Case Relative Strength
5-10% Display models, prototypes Minimal
15-20% General purpose, housings Moderate
25-40% Functional parts, brackets Strong
50-75% High-load mechanical parts Very Strong
100% Maximum strength required Maximum (but diminishing returns past 50%)

Material Temperature Settings

Material Nozzle Temp (°C) Bed Temp (°C) Enclosure? Cooling Fan
PLA 195-215 50-60 No 100%
PLA+ 205-220 55-65 No 80-100%
PETG 225-245 70-85 Optional 50-70%
ABS 230-250 95-110 Required 0-20%
ASA 235-255 95-110 Required 0-30%
TPU (95A) 220-235 45-60 No 50-80%
Nylon (PA) 245-265 70-90 Required 0-30%
Feature PLA Speed PETG Speed ABS Speed Notes
First Layer 20-25 mm/s 20-25 mm/s 20-25 mm/s Slow for adhesion
Outer Wall 40-50 mm/s 35-45 mm/s 40-50 mm/s Quality surface
Inner Wall 50-70 mm/s 45-60 mm/s 50-60 mm/s Hidden, can be faster
Infill 60-100 mm/s 50-80 mm/s 50-80 mm/s Not visible
Top Surface 30-40 mm/s 30-40 mm/s 30-40 mm/s Smooth finish
Travel 150-200 mm/s 150-200 mm/s 150-200 mm/s Non-printing moves
Support 50-70 mm/s 40-60 mm/s 40-60 mm/s Temporary structure

Wall and Shell Settings

Application Wall Count Wall Thickness (0.4mm nozzle) Top Layers Bottom Layers
Display model 2 0.8mm 3-4 3
General purpose 3 1.2mm 4-5 3-4
Functional part 4 1.6mm 5-6 4-5
Structural/load-bearing 5+ 2.0mm+ 6-8 5-6

Bed Adhesion Quick Reference

Method Added Material Added Time When to Use
Skirt (3 loops) Minimal ~1 min Default for most prints
Brim (5mm) Low 2-5 min Small footprint, warping-prone materials
Brim (8mm) Moderate 3-8 min Tall thin parts, ABS/Nylon
Raft (2 layers) High 10-20 min Very poor bed adhesion, rough bed surface

Support Settings Cheat Sheet

Setting Recommended Value Notes
Overhang angle 45° (start here) Increase to 50-55° for PLA with good cooling
Support density 15-20% Higher = easier to print on, harder to remove
Z distance (top) 1 layer height Allows clean separation
Z distance (bottom) 0 Supports bond to bed for stability
X/Y distance 0.7mm Gap between support and model walls
Interface layers 2-3 Dense layers where support meets model
Interface density 75-90% Smooth contact surface

Retraction Settings

Extruder Type Retraction Distance Retraction Speed Notes
Direct Drive 0.5-2.0mm 25-45 mm/s Short path, less retraction needed
Bowden (short) 3.0-5.0mm 35-50 mm/s Moderate tube length
Bowden (long) 5.0-7.0mm 40-60 mm/s Long tube compensates for flex

G-code File Size Reference

Print Complexity Typical File Size Typical Line Count
Simple cube (20mm) 0.5-1 MB 10,000-20,000
Medium complexity part 5-15 MB 100,000-300,000
Detailed model (fine layer) 30-80 MB 500,000-1,500,000
Large, complex, fine layer 100+ MB 2,000,000+

Last Updated: 2026-03-19