2.4. SIMPLE MODE
• Print speed - Shorter layers will result in smoother prints but each
print will take longer, simply because the extruder must trace the
pattern more times. A later goal will be to strike a balance between
layer height, the speed of the printer, and the quality of the resulting
print.
Perimeters defines the minimum number of vertical shells (i.e. walls) a
print will have. Unless the model requires single width walls it is generally
recommended to have a minimum of two perimeters as this gives some
insurance that if a subsection of the perimeter is not printed correctly then
the second perimeter will help cover it.
The upper and lowermost layers that sandwich the model are filled with
a Solid layers pattern. For the bottom layers the important factor to
consider is how the surface will look should there be a mistake whilst laying
down the first layer, and for this reason it is recommended to have at least
two bottom layers.
A similar consideration is required for the top layers. Because the
intermediate layers are likely to be filled with a pattern set less than 100%
then the covering layers will have to bridge this pattern and this can require
more than one pass to cover completely.
Figure 2.15: An example of insufficient top layers.
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