Nozzles and Slicer Resolution
Hi All, I need help understanding nozzles and print resolution. My understanding is that I have a .4mm nozzle on my I3 which seems like I would only ever be able to extrude a piece of PLA that is .4mm. How is it that in my slicer settings I can choose .2 or .08?
Do I need to use specific nozzles that print in these higher resolutions or does my .4mm nozzle somehow extrude less PLA to match the resolution Im trying to print at?
Thanks
Best Answer by Neophyl:
I think you are confusing x/y axis extruder print resolution with z axis resolution. With a 0.4mm 'standard' nozzle the default profiles in Prusa Slicer will have the extrusion width defined as around 0.45mm usually. When you slice a model into layers the smallest feature that can be printed will be determined by the extrusion width/nozzle size. So yes, features smaller than 0.45mm wont be sliced by the slicer. It will in effect ignore them or try and compensate depending on the slicer settings. (I'm simplifying that LOTS as theres various things you can do once you get some experience).
However each LAYER of the slice can be made thick or thin (limited by the accuracy of the z axis). That means vertically you can print at 0.05 or 0.2 or 0.4 etc. So you get more resolution vertically. That's where the different profiles come in, they will have different layer heights defined. Of course if you print at 0.1mm as opposed to 0.2 then the printer has to print twice as many layers so print times go way up.
That's one reason the variable layer height tool in PS is so handy. You can print lower detail layers thicker and higher detail ones thinner. Orientating your models to take advantage of the way things work is important and another one of those skills you pick up after awhile.
The preview print functionality is a great learning tool as you can experiment with settings and slice to see what effect they have before even starting a print. Trying different model orientations etc and learning how to use the preview to spot potential trouble areas is extremely useful.
Of course you can also change the nozzle for a smaller one if you really need the extra x/y resolution. However be aware that that will dramatically increase print times. The trick is to print in as low a resolution as you can get away with for acceptable results.
This article may be of interest https://help.prusa3d.com/en/article/layers-and-perimeters_1748/
I'd also suggest a read of the Prusa Slicer Knowledge base to get the basics https://help.prusa3d.com/en/category/prusaslicer_204
I think you are confusing x/y axis extruder print resolution with z axis resolution. With a 0.4mm 'standard' nozzle the default profiles in Prusa Slicer will have the extrusion width defined as around 0.45mm usually. When you slice a model into layers the smallest feature that can be printed will be determined by the extrusion width/nozzle size. So yes, features smaller than 0.45mm wont be sliced by the slicer. It will in effect ignore them or try and compensate depending on the slicer settings. (I'm simplifying that LOTS as theres various things you can do once you get some experience).
However each LAYER of the slice can be made thick or thin (limited by the accuracy of the z axis). That means vertically you can print at 0.05 or 0.2 or 0.4 etc. So you get more resolution vertically. That's where the different profiles come in, they will have different layer heights defined. Of course if you print at 0.1mm as opposed to 0.2 then the printer has to print twice as many layers so print times go way up.
That's one reason the variable layer height tool in PS is so handy. You can print lower detail layers thicker and higher detail ones thinner. Orientating your models to take advantage of the way things work is important and another one of those skills you pick up after awhile.
The preview print functionality is a great learning tool as you can experiment with settings and slice to see what effect they have before even starting a print. Trying different model orientations etc and learning how to use the preview to spot potential trouble areas is extremely useful.
Of course you can also change the nozzle for a smaller one if you really need the extra x/y resolution. However be aware that that will dramatically increase print times. The trick is to print in as low a resolution as you can get away with for acceptable results.
This article may be of interest https://help.prusa3d.com/en/article/layers-and-perimeters_1748/
I'd also suggest a read of the Prusa Slicer Knowledge base to get the basics https://help.prusa3d.com/en/category/prusaslicer_204
WIDTH and HEIGHT
The nozzle size determines the WIDTH of the extrusion, and it sounds like you are looking at the layer HEIGHT settings in the slicer. To change the WIDTH of the extrusion you need to change the nozzle but to change the HEIGHT can be done in the slicer. See
Mk3S+,SL1S