Slicer Comparisons: Which One Is Right for Your Workflow?

Mastering Slicer — Tips, Tricks, and Best SettingsSlicer software is the bridge between a 3D model and a successful print. It converts your 3D file into layer-by-layer instructions (G-code) for your printer, and getting the settings right in your slicer is often the difference between a failed print and a professional-looking result. This article walks through essential concepts, practical tips, useful tricks, and recommended starting settings to help you master popular slicers like Cura, PrusaSlicer, and Simplify3D.

1. Understand What a Slicer Actually Does

A slicer:

Converts 3D models into G-code that tells the printer head where to move, how fast, how much filament to extrude, and when to heat or cool.
Assigns per-layer settings such as layer height, print speed, temperatures, and retraction.
Generates support structures, skirts/brims, and infill patterns to control part strength and surface finish.
Optimizes travel moves and retractions to minimize stringing and blobbing.

Knowing these functions helps you focus on which settings matter most for each print type (cosmetic parts, mechanical parts, functional assemblies, etc.).

2. Key Settings and What They Do

Layer Height

Definition: Thickness of each printed layer.
Effect: Lower layer height = finer detail and smoother surfaces; higher layer height = faster prints and stronger layer bonding.
Rule of thumb: Use 0.2 mm for general-purpose prints on a 0.4 mm nozzle; 0.1–0.12 mm for high-detail, and 0.28–0.32 mm for faster drafts.

Print Speed

Definition: How fast the head moves while extruding.
Effect: Faster speeds reduce time but can cause ringing, under-extrusion, or loss of detail.
Tip: Start with 40–60 mm/s for PLA; slow down for detailed features (e.g., 20–30 mm/s for outer perimeters).

Extrusion Multiplier / Flow

Definition: Scales how much filament is extruded.
Effect: Too high → over-extrusion (blobs, poor detail); too low → gaps, poor layer adhesion.
Calibration: Print a single-wall cube and adjust until wall thickness matches expected value.

Nozzle Temperature

Definition: Melt temperature of your filament at the nozzle.
Effect: Too hot → stringing and drooling; too cold → under-extrusion and poor layer bonding.
Tip: Use the filament manufacturer’s recommended range as a starting point; perform a temperature tower to find the sweet spot.

Bed Temperature and Adhesion

Definition: Heated bed temperature and surface strategies (glue, tape, PEI).
Effect: Affects first-layer adhesion and warping.
Tip: PLA typically prints at 50–70 °C; ABS needs 90–110 °C and good enclosure.

Retraction

Definition: Pulling filament back slightly when the head travels without extrusion.
Effect: Reduces stringing and oozing.
Settings: Retraction distance and speed vary by extruder type:
- Direct drive: 0.5–2.0 mm at 20–60 mm/s.
- Bowden: 3–6 mm at 30–70 mm/s.
Tip: Use a stringing test to tune.

Infill Density and Pattern

Definition: Interior structure that balances strength, weight, and print time.
Patterns: Grid, honeycomb, gyroid, cubic.
Recommendations: 10–20% for cosmetic models; 30–50% for functional parts; use gyroid for isotropic strength and good bonding.

Shells / Walls (Perimeters)

Definition: Number of outlines printed around each layer.
Effect: More shells = stronger exterior and better pressure during infill.
Tip: Use at least 2–3 perimeters; for load-bearing parts consider 4–6.

Cooling and Fans

Definition: Part cooling fan speeds and layer-based cooling strategies.
Effect: Good cooling improves bridging and overhangs for PLA but can hurt layer adhesion on some materials.
Tip: Use 100% fan for most PLA prints after first few layers; reduce or disable for ABS and PETG as needed.

3. Printer-Specific Tips

Cura

Use “Adaptive Layers” for variable layer height to speed up prints while preserving detail.
Enable “Combing Mode” to keep travels within infill/perimeters to reduce stringing.
Use “G-code Post-Processing” scripts sparingly for custom behaviors (e.g., nozzle cleaning, pause commands).

PrusaSlicer

Use the “Print Settings” presets (0.15, 0.2, 0.25 mm) as reliable starting points.
Use “Pressure Advance” (if supported) to compensate for extrusion lag and improve corner quality.
The multi-material features are among the best for MMU setups; tune prime tower settings carefully.

Simplify3D

Take advantage of process-based settings to apply different parameters to different model regions (e.g., fine outer shell, faster infill).
Use manually edited support structures when auto-supports are excessive.

4. Calibration Routines (Must-Do)

Bed leveling: Manual or automatic mesh bed leveling for a consistent first layer.
E-steps calibration: Ensure the extruder feeds the correct length of filament.
Flow/extrusion multiplier: Adjust with single-wall calibration prints.
Retraction tuning: Use stringing tests and retraction towers.
Temperature tower: Find optimal extrusion temperature for dimensional accuracy and layer bonding.
First-layer test: Confirm extrusion width, speed, and Z-offset for perfect adhesion.

5. Advanced Tricks and Best Practices

Use variable layer heights: Preserve detail on curved surfaces while speeding up flat regions.
Linear advance / Pressure advance: Reduces blobbing at corners by shaping extrusion pressure.
Coasting: Stop extruding slightly before the end of a path to reduce oozing.
Adaptive speeds: Slow down on small features automatically to improve quality.
Use a “brim” for small contact-area parts and a “raft” for difficult materials or warped models.
Bleeding edge: Try tuning the initial extrusion multiplier to slightly under-extrude for very fine surfaces, then increase shell overlap to maintain strength.
Use flame-retardant enclosures for high-temp materials when printing with ABS/PC.
Switch to a hardened steel nozzle for abrasive filaments (carbon-filled, glow-in-the-dark).
Use filament drying and sealed storage for hygroscopic filaments (Nylon, PETG to some extent).

6. Common Problems and Quick Fixes

Warping at corners: Increase bed temp, add brim, use enclosure, improve bed adhesion surface.
Stringing: Increase retraction distance/speed, lower print temp, enable wipe/coast.
Layer shifts: Check belts, pulley grub screws, and stepper motor current; reduce print speed for problematic prints.
Under-extrusion: Check nozzle for partial clogs, calibrate extruder steps, increase temp slightly, verify filament path.
Elephant’s foot: Lower first-layer extrusion multiplier, reduce initial layer height, adjust Z-offset up slightly.
Poor bridging: Increase cooling, print slower for bridges, add temporary supports.

7. Recommended Starter Settings (0.4 mm nozzle, generic PLA)

Layer height: 0.2 mm
Wall/perimeters: 2–3
Top solid layers: 5–6
Bottom solid layers: 4
Infill: 15–20% (grid or gyroid)
Print speed: 50 mm/s (outer perimeter 30 mm/s)
Travel speed: 120–150 mm/s
Retraction distance: 2 mm (direct) / 4 mm (Bowden)
Retraction speed: 35–50 mm/s
Nozzle temp: 200–205 °C
Bed temp: 55–60 °C
Fan: 100% after first 2–3 layers
Flow: 100% (adjust per calibration)

8. Workflow Example: From Model to Finished Part

Inspect and repair the model (mesh checks, wall thickness).
Orient part for strongest layers and best surface finish; minimize supports.
Choose profile (draft, normal, high quality) and apply material preset.
Set critical parameters: layer height, shell count, infill, supports.
Run slicing preview to check retractions, infill, and potential issues.
Calibrate first layer (Z-offset) and run a small test print.
Iterate: tweak temperatures, speeds, or retraction based on results.
Post-process (support removal, sanding, smoothing, painting).

9. When to Use Custom G-code and Scripts

Insert automatic pauses (for inserting nuts, color changes).
Run pre- or post-print actions (bed probing, nozzle cleanup).
Add mesh bed leveling commands or custom fan speed curves.
Caution: Custom G-code can break profiles if not carefully tested.

10. Final Tips for Consistent Success

Keep print environment stable: avoid drafts and temperature swings.
Keep filament dry and within spec.
Maintain your machine: tighten belts, clean nozzles, lubricate rails.
Use print logs and notes—record what settings produced the best results for specific filaments and models.
Gradually tweak only a couple of variables between prints to identify cause-and-effect.

Mastering a slicer is part science, part craft. Systematic calibration, patience, and small iterative changes will yield the biggest quality improvements. With the settings and workflows above you’ll be able to move faster from “it barely printed” to “that looks great.”