Frequently Asked Questions

Vertical Separation Layers. This setting determines how many
empty layers are left between the support structures and the part.
For example, if you are printing your support structures with the
same material as your part, it is common to use at least 1-2 vertical
separation layers. Otherwise, if you used 0 separation layers and
you are printing everything with the same material, the supports
may bond to the part and can become difficult to remove. So this
is one of the first settings you want to adjust as you try to perfect
your print quality.
(4) Horizontal Part Offset
The next separation setting you should check is the
Horizontal Offset from your part. This setting controls the side-to-
side distance between your part and the support structures. So
while the Vertical Separation Layers can help keep the top of your
supports from bonding to the bottom of your part, the Horizontal
Offset will keep the sides of your supports from bonding to the
side of your model. It is common to use a value between 0.2-
0.4mm for this setting, but you may need to experiment and see
what works best for your specific extruder and filament.
(5) Use a Second Extruder
If your machine comes with 2 or more extruders, you can
achieve a significant improvement by using a different material for
your support structures. For example, it is quite common to print
parts in PLA using water dissolvable PVA for the supports.
Because the model and support structures are printed with
different materials, they won’t bond together as easily, which
allows you to do a better job of supporting the part. If you are