3D printing can be exciting and incredibly frustrating at the same time. But don’t let constant experimentation and a round of failures put you off 3D printing for life. Here are some tips involving filaments to help you improve your 3d printing efforts:
1. Printing for the first time? Stay away from transparent filament. Clear 3D printing filament is pretty tough to capture in a snapshot. Because it’s such a momentous occasion that it deserves to be documented. However, that clear filament is going to stand in your way and you’ll end up with a blurry, out-of-focus shot.
2. Get rolls of filament that the manufacturer has suggested for your printer. Your printer usually packs along a standard filament. However, that filament could be a hit or miss. If you’ve got filaments handy—better if you have more than one color—then you could replace the cheap filament with a better one. If your printer immediately generates better results, then the problem could have been with cheap filaments right from the get go.
3. Check for slipping filament. You don’t want this to happen. But if it does, make sure you’re prepared to handle the situation.
4. One size doesn’t fit all. Different printers and filaments can produce varying results. Just make sure you learn what the ideal printer settings are for your type of brand. That way, you know what to adjust to and why.
Other Tips
1. You could print out a lot of 20 mm cubes the first time you use the 3d printer. This should help you get a feel for the machine, and see what works and doesn’t the first dozen times. It gives you the perfect opportunity to master its functions as well as help you calibrate your 3d printer in no time.
2. Don’t print too much too soon, though. Your machine could heat up much too quickly, says 3D Printing for Beginners, which can lead to damage and costly repairs.
3. Ask from help from online users and community. While you can expect a lot of trolls and maybe even troublemakers or even people who couldn’t be bothered to answer any of your questions, if you’re lucky, you’ll also get to meet an awesome team of friends who love 3d printing the same way you do.
So keep these tips in mind when you use start using your 3d printer. The more you know about 3d printing, the better your work and insight should be.
