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    PILLAR 03 — INSTRUCTION_LAYER

    Slicing & Print Preparation

    Choose the orientation, supports and settings that turn a model into a printable job.

    8 CHAPTERS•~35 MIN READ
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    01

    What does a 3D printing slicer do?

    Slicing is the translation layer between design intent and machine execution. The slicer takes 3D geometry and converts it into layer-by-layer toolpath instructions (G-code).

    The Slicing Process

    1. 1Import: Load the 3D model
    2. 2Position: Orient on virtual build plate
    3. 3Configure: Set parameters
    4. 4Generate: Calculate toolpaths
    5. 5Export: G-code ready for printer

    What the Slicer Calculates

    • Perimeter paths (outer walls)
    • Infill patterns and density
    • Support structure generation
    • Travel moves
    • Temperature changes
    • Retraction sequences

    Key Insight: The same model with different slicer settings can produce dramatically different outcomes.

    02

    Slicer Software Overview

    Different slicers serve different needs. Understanding your software's capabilities is essential before diving into settings optimisation.

    Bambu Studio

    Optimised for Bambu Lab printers with excellent default profiles. Native integration with Bambu Lab cloud services and AMS (Automatic Material System).

    Technician's Notes
    Use a maintained profile for the actual machine and material. Recheck it when moving between slicers.

    OrcaSlicer

    Community fork with advanced features and multi-brand support. Includes additional calibration tools and experimental features not found in stock Bambu Studio.

    Technician's Notes
    For users who want more control, OrcaSlicer offers advanced features like pressure advance calibration and flow rate tuning that we use in our STANDARD Settings development.

    Other Slicers

    PrusaSlicer, Cura, Simplify3D — Check the current documentation for the matching machine profile and setting names.

    Recommendation: Master one slicer deeply before switching. Our documentation assumes Bambu Studio or OrcaSlicer.

    03

    Our Baseline Settings

    These examples are starting points to compare with your material and machine instructions, not universal settings.

    Standard PLA Baseline

    Layer: 0.20mm | Speed: 50-80mm/s | Nozzle: 210°C | Bed: 60°C | Cooling: 100%
    Technician's Notes
    PLA is forgiving but benefits from slower first layers. Our STANDARD setting adds additional first-layer modifications for maximum adhesion reliability.

    Standard PETG Baseline

    Layer: 0.20mm | Speed: 40-60mm/s | Nozzle: 235°C | Bed: 80°C | Cooling: 50%
    Technician's Notes
    PETG requires more careful adhesion management. The slower speeds and reduced cooling in our baseline prevent warping while maintaining layer adhesion.

    Check these choices against the profile for your actual printer, nozzle and material.

    04

    Which way should I orient the part?

    Orientation affects strength, surface quality, support requirements, and print time. Getting this right reduces post-processing and improves functional performance.

    Strength Considerations

    Layer bonds are the weakest point in FDM parts. Orient so load paths don't rely on interlayer adhesion—layers should run parallel to tensile forces where possible.

    Technician's Notes
    When orientation for strength conflicts with support requirements, we prioritise strength. Our STANDARD support settings are designed to minimise scarring on load-bearing surfaces.

    Surface Quality

    Top surfaces are smoothest; side surfaces show layer lines. Orient visible surfaces to face upward or use our dual-material support settings for clean breaks on any surface.

    Check these choices against the profile for your actual printer, nozzle and material.

    A T-shaped part standing with unsupported overhangs, then lying down with the same features supported by the build plate.
    Try another orientation before adding supports. Also check the load direction and the faces that need a good finish.
    05

    When does a print need supports?

    Supports prevent printed material from drooping into air. Our STANDARD settings optimise support generation for reliability and easy removal.

    When Supports Are Needed

    • • Overhangs steeper than 45° from vertical
    • • Bridges longer than 10-15mm
    • • Floating geometry with no connection to build plate

    Support Types

    Normal/Linear: Standard grid pattern. Reliable but can be harder to remove.

    Tree Supports: Organic branching structure. Minimal surface contact, ideal for organic shapes.

    Snug Supports: Follows part contours closely without overshooting. Our preferred type.

    Technician's Notes
    We use Normal + Automatic + Snug as our default support configuration. Snug support type produces a compact structure that doesn't overshoot the part geometry, reducing material waste and improving removal. For organic shapes (sculptures, figurines), switch to Tree supports instead.

    STANDARD Support Approach

    Our STANDARD settings enable supports by default. This is intentional—it's better to generate supports you don't need (and disable manually) than to have a print fail because supports were forgotten.

    Default: Support: ON | Type: Normal | Detection: Automatic | Style: Snug

    Check these choices against the profile for your actual printer, nozzle and material.

    06

    How does layer height change the surface?

    Quality optimisation focuses on surface finish and dimensional accuracy. The first layer is particularly critical—it's the foundation for the entire print.

    Layer Height

    0.12mm: High detail | 0.20mm: Standard | 0.28mm: Fast drafts

    Seam Position

    Aligned seams hide in corners better than random scatter. For cylindrical parts, consider rear-aligned seams.

    First Layer Quality

    The first layer determines print success. Our STANDARD settings slow initial layer speeds and use brims for maximum adhesion.

    Technician's Notes
    We set initial layer speed to 10mm/s—much slower than typical defaults. This ensures proper bed adhesion and gives the first layer time to bond correctly. Combined with our brim settings, this virtually eliminates first-layer failures.

    Check these choices against the profile for your actual printer, nozzle and material.

    The same curved part sliced into fewer thick layers and more thin layers.
    Thinner layers follow a curve more closely but add layers to print. The values shown are examples; use a layer height supported by your nozzle and profile.
    07

    What makes a printed part stronger?

    Mechanical strength comes from wall thickness, layer adhesion, and infill pattern selection.

    Wall Count

    More walls = stronger perimeter. 3-4 walls minimum for functional parts. Walls contribute more to strength than infill in most cases.

    Infill Strategy

    Beyond 40%, strength gains diminish rapidly. Wall count is often more effective than high infill. For maximum strength, use gyroid or cubic infill patterns.

    Technician's Notes
    Our STANDARD settings use 15% grid infill as default—sufficient for most applications. For functional parts under load, increase to 25-40% with gyroid pattern rather than simply maxing out infill percentage.

    Check these choices against the profile for your actual printer, nozzle and material.

    08

    STANDARD Settings System

    The STANDARD Settings System is our validated configuration pack developed through extensive testing. It consists of two core profiles designed to maximise print success rates while maintaining quality.

    Standard Setting

    Base profile for single-material printing. Optimised for first-layer adhesion and reliable support generation.

    Clean Support (Dual Material)

    Extended profile for dual-material support interfaces. Produces clean, easily-removable supports on any surface.

    Build a shared slicer profile

    1Standard Setting

    This is our base configuration for single-material printing. It prioritises first-layer adhesion and reliable support generation over speed. This is the "safe" setting—it may use more material for supports, but it delivers the highest success rate.

    Brim Settings

    Brim TypeInner and Outer Brim (3D Printed)

    Generates a thin layer of material extending from the part's base to increase bed adhesion surface area.

    Technician's Notes
    We use both inner and outer brims. The inner brim fills holes and gaps in the first layer, while the outer brim extends the footprint. This combination provides maximum adhesion for any part geometry.
    Outer Brim Width10mm

    The width of material extending outward from the part perimeter on the first layer.

    Technician's Notes
    10mm provides substantial surface area for bed adhesion without excessive material waste. For very small parts, this may seem large—but the brim removes easily and prevents the frustration of failed prints.

    Initial Layer Speed

    Initial Layer Speed10 mm/s

    The speed at which the printer moves while depositing the first layer of the print.

    Initial Layer Infill Speed10 mm/s

    The speed for infill extrusion on the first layer specifically.

    Technician's Notes
    10mm/s is dramatically slower than typical defaults (often 20-30mm/s). This deliberate slowdown gives the first layer time to properly bond with the build plate. Combined with our brim settings, this virtually eliminates first-layer adhesion failures. The time cost is minimal—typically 2-3 extra minutes—but the reliability gain is substantial.

    Support Settings

    Enable SupportON (Always)

    Generates support structures under overhanging geometry to prevent drooping during printing.

    Technician's Notes
    We enable supports by default. It's safer to generate supports you don't need (and manually disable) than to forget supports and have a print fail mid-way. This is a "defence-first" approach.
    Support TypeNormal

    Standard linear support structure. Reliable and predictable behaviour.

    Technician's Notes
    Normal supports are our default for functional and blocky parts. They're more reliable than tree supports for mechanical parts. Switch to Tree supports only for organic shapes (sculptures, figurines) where surface scarring is a concern.
    Support DetectionAutomatic

    The slicer automatically determines where supports are needed based on overhang angles.

    Support StyleSnug

    Support structures conform closely to the part geometry without extending beyond the overhanging areas.

    Technician's Notes
    Snug support is critical. Standard support generation often overshoots the part boundary, creating unnecessary support material. Snug produces a compact structure that follows the part contour exactly—less material waste, easier removal, and cleaner results.
    When to modify the Standard Setting:
    • • Organic shapes: Switch support type to Tree
    • • No overhangs: Disable supports manually after slicing
    • • Time-critical: Increase initial layer speed to 15mm/s (slight reliability trade-off)

    2Clean Support (Dual Material) Setting

    This profile extends the Standard Setting with dual-material support interface configuration. It uses a secondary material for the support-to-part interface that doesn't bond with your primary material, allowing supports to break away cleanly without surface scarring.

    Includes all Standard Setting configurations plus:

    Interface Material Setup

    Support/Raft Interface Material[Secondary Material Slot]

    Assigns a different material to the interface layers between support structures and the printed part.

    Technician's Notes
    The interface material must be chemically incompatible with your primary material while printing at similar temperatures. This creates a "release layer" that doesn't bond, allowing clean separation. See our Materials Mixing Guide for compatible pairings (e.g., PLA + PETG, ABS + HIPS).

    Interface Configuration

    Top Z Distance0

    The vertical gap between the top of the support interface and the bottom of the printed part.

    Technician's Notes
    Setting this to 0 seems counterintuitive—wouldn't you want a gap for easy removal? With mismatched materials, zero gap is correct. The materials don't bond chemically, so the part lifts off cleanly. The zero gap ensures a smooth bottom surface on your part.
    Interface PatternRectilinear

    The pattern used for the support interface layers. Rectilinear creates straight-line passes.

    Technician's Notes
    Rectilinear produces a solid, even interface surface. This is critical for large flat surfaces—you want consistent support contact across the entire area.
    Top Interface Spacing0

    The gap between interface lines. Zero creates a solid interface layer.

    Technician's Notes
    Zero spacing = 100% solid interface. Combined with zero Z distance, this creates a perfectly smooth mating surface. The interface material lays down two solid layers that the primary material sits on without bonding.

    Required Manual Adjustment

    Critical: Flushing Volume Adjustment

    This setting cannot be saved in the profile and must be set manually for each project.

    Flushing Volumes800 (all material pairs)

    The amount of filament purged when switching between materials to clear the previous material from the nozzle.

    Location: Prepare Tab → Project Filaments → Flushing Volumes
    Technician's Notes
    Single-nozzle printers only. When switching materials, residue from the previous material remains in the nozzle. If you don't purge sufficiently (default is often 300-400), you get a mixed zone where both materials are extruding together. This creates a weak layer where the mismatched materials have partially bonded. 800mm³ ensures complete purging. Dual-nozzle printers don't need this adjustment.

    3How to Import & Use

    Importing Process Profiles

    1. 1Obtain a maintained profile for your printer, nozzle and material
    2. 2Keep a copy and note the source and version
    3. 3Open Bambu Studio or OrcaSlicer
    4. 4Navigate to File → Import → Import Config
    5. 5Select the compatible profile file using the current slicer instructions
    6. 6The profile will appear in your Process dropdown

    Importing Material Profiles

    Import only material profiles intended for your setup. Check the selected filament and its processing instructions before slicing.

    Technician's Notes
    A nozzle change needs the matching machine profile and suitable process settings. Re-slice and inspect the preview before printing.

    4Customisation Guide

    Important: These settings are a guide, not a mandate. Feel free to modify them to suit your specific requirements. The profiles provide a reliable starting point—adjust as needed based on your materials, printers, and quality requirements.

    Saving Custom Profiles

    After modifying settings, save as a new profile to preserve your changes. Go to File → Save As Project Config or use the profile dropdown and select "Save As".

    Cross-Slicer Compatibility

    While our pack is designed for Bambu Studio and OrcaSlicer, the principles apply to any slicer. For PrusaSlicer, Cura, or others:

    • Locate equivalent settings (naming may differ)
    • Apply the same values manually
    • Save as a custom profile for reuse
    Technician's Notes
    Setting names differ between slicers. Check the current documentation and validate changes on your actual setup.
    Build a shared slicer profile
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    Material Selection & Care

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