CURA SETTINGS

IIIRPD, HYDERABAD
CONTENTS

We will be dealing with in-depth explanation of the main settings.

Different aspects and effects of the parameters.

How the settings affect the print quality, time and usage.
Settings – CURA
Layer Height : 0.15-0.2 is optimum.
• Layer height is the thickness of the plastic laid down on the build
platform in millimeters. It defines the visual quality of the final print
and printing time.
Effects :
• Thinner layers will increase the visual quality, stair stepping effect at the
layer’s borders will be reduced and smooth finish is observed allowing
the details print very fine.
• Having thicker layers tends to make the print stronger, to a point. The
thicker layers will not shear as much.
• Printing time will be reduced greatly when thicker layer heights are
used, since the nozzle will not have to make as many horizontal
movements.
Drawbacks :
• At very low layer heights ,you could run into the resolution limit of your
z axis. Make sure your layer height is a multiple of your z axis steps/mm,
else you would end up in z- banding.
Settings – CURA
Initial Layer Height : 150% of Actual layer height

• This setting defines the thickness of the first layer

of your print.
• The initial layer height is normally printed thicker
than the rest in order to create a stronger
adhesion with the build plate.
• Additionally, the thicker layer will catch any
irregularities in the flatness of the surface.
• If the build plate is slightly bent, the variability will
be absorbed by the thickness of the first layer,
whereas otherwise the nozzle could scrape it off in
the second layer.
• Having too thick of an initial layer causes the first
layer to sag more, which causes elephant’s feet.
Settings – CURA

Line Width : 90-105% of the nozzle diameter is recommended

• Horizontal width of the lines that the printer will place down,
by extruding more or less material, the printer can vary a little
bit in how wide, the lines are laid down
• Reducing the line width allows the printer to print more
details. Particularly, thin parts.
• Adjusting the line width to an even multiple of thickness of
your print can make the object stronger and make the material
flow better.
• Printing thinner lines will considerably increase the printing
time.
• First layer line width determines the bed adhesion, so larger
line width helps in better adhesion.
Settings – CURA
Wall thickness : usually 0.8mm – 1.2mm is recommended.

This setting determines how thick the wall around the print will be.
Ultimately it adjusts the number of inner walls to achieve the desired
thickness.

Increasing the wall thickness will :

• Greatly increase the strength of the print.

• Reduce the shine-through effect, where the infill pattern is visible on the
outside.
• Improve overhangs.
• Make the model watertight more easily.
• Greatly increase the printing time and material usage of the print.
Settings – CURA
Top/Bottom Thickness : 3 to 5 layers are optimum

This setting defines how thick of a solid skin is created on top and
bottom sides of your print.
Greater top and bottom thickness will have several effects, beneficial
for total quality but detrimental for productivity

• Greater top/bottom thickness will mean that a smaller part of

your print will get filled will sparse infill pattern.
• Top surface will be smoother.
• It’s more likely that your model will be water tight.
• The print will use more material, since more layers are filled
completely.
• Printing time will increase.
Settings – CURA
Horizontal Expansion : use it only when required.

This setting causes the entire model to be slightly wider or slimmer, it is a measure for dimensional
inaccuracies of the printing process.

• If the tolerance of a print is important, this setting can be very useful.

• Due to slight deformation of plastics, the actual dimensions of the print may not completely correspond
with the dimensions of the 3d model.
• If you know, that your printer always prints too wide due to some over extrusion or inaccuracy in its
movement, you can compensate for that with this setting.
Settings – CURA
Enable Ironing : use it for smoother finish (on top layer recommended)

This setting causes the heated nozzle(without extruding) to move over the printed layer again, so that the
layer gets a smooth finish as u can see from the below.
• It fills in the gaps present, if any by melting the to layer.
• It increases the printing time significantly.
 Settings – CURA

Infill density : depends on the requirement.

This setting configures the density of volume inside the print, which is
a major factor in the strength of the final print as well as top surface
quality.

Increasing the infill density(by reducing line distance) has a big effect
namely :
• Your print will be stronger
• Top surface will be supported better.
• Reduced pillowing because the pockets of heat will be smaller.
• It takes longer to print.
Settings – CURA (Kinds of infill pattern)
Settings – CURA

Default printing temperature : according to different manufacturers, the printing temperatures are marked on
the spool of the filaments.
We have 3 types of filaments that we use basically
• PLA – poly lactic acid – 190-210 degrees(nozzle temperature)
• ABS – acrylonitrile butadiene styrene – 225-245 degrees (nozzle temp)
• PET-G – polyethylene terephthalate glycol - 235- 250 degrees (nozzle temp)
Initial and final printing temperatures :
initial and final printing temperatures play a crucial role in bed adhesion and surface finish
• PLA – 200 degrees
• ABS – 230 degrees

Bed temperatures :
Bed temperature is used for keeping the melted plastic on the build platform since the plastic has a glass
transition temperatures, at which the plastic tends to change its physical form
PLA – 60-65 degrees is recommended
ABS – 80-100 degrees.
Settings – CURA
Print speed : a print speed of 50-70mm/s is optimum.
This setting defines the overall speeds at which the model is printed.

This setting is a great influence on the balance between printed part quality and
printing time. Increasing the printing speed will reduce the duration of the print but
will increase the vibration of the print head.

• Increasing the speed too much may result in over extrusion and under extrusion.

• Increasing the printing speed will not have a large effect if the print has many
small details.
Settings – CURA
Enable jerk control : keep it switched on to give CURA the control over jerks on movement of print head.

Jerk is defined as the speed with which the nozzle goes through corners.
Jerk is the maximum instantaneous change in velocity, applied at every corner of the motion.

Firmware such as marlin, will accept cura’s jerk control.

Settings – CURA
Retraction speed and distance :

Retraction can be better explained as the material pushed away from the Nozzle so that the nozzle stops
extruding when it is in it’s non printing moves.

Retraction has significant advantages and disadvantages :

• It will reduce stringing significantly.
• It will reduce blobs on the perimeters.
• It may result in under extrusion
• Retraction settings will vary according to the material.
• Flexibles are hard to retract.
Settings – CURA
Combing Mode : enable this option.

Combing is a practice of avoiding crossing the walls of the print when travelling from one place to another.
Crossing the walls tends to leave a scar on the surface where a hot nozzle entered the volume of the print.

Combing alone just causes the nozzle to avoid the walls and printed parts when travelling through the inside
of mesh.

The objective of combing is to avoid going through the walls of the object, reducing the amount of the scars
on the surface. It will also reduce stringing since most of the movement is inside the part.

It will increase the print duration.

Settings – CURA
Enable print cooling : PLA – ON, ABS – OFF

• This setting will enables or disables the cooling fan which is essential for better surface finish.

• Fan should be switched on after 3rd layer of printing to avoid warping of parts.
Settings – CURA
Generate support :

Enable this setting to make the overhang parts printable.

An overhang angle >45 degrees is considered for enabling supports.

This setting enables printing support structures for the surfaces that requires
support like we can see on our right.

While it is necessary, printing support should be prevented if at all possible. There

are many ways:
• Orient your model such that there are no flat surfaces higher than the build
plate.
• Avoid designing overhangs as much as possible.
• If there is a surface just above your buildplate, pull it down to the build plate.
• Small ledges can be supported with a 45 degree angle slope, transferring the
overhang into the model.
• Large overhangs can be bridged if they are supported on both sides.
Settings – CURA

• Cura will automatically orient the lines of the bottom side of that overhang such that they go in straight
line over the bridge.
• During the printing of these lines, the nozzle will keep tension on the bead such that it does not drop
down. This gives it enough time to solidify so that it can hold up on its own.
• If there is a gap in the overhang, a sacrificial bridge can be designed in, this allows bridging, such that the
second layer can build the proper walls of the gap on top.
Settings – CURA
Support density : strength of the supports. Rate at which support structures are filled with material.

Increasing the density of support has some positive and negative effects:
• Since the distance between the support lines is smaller, the surface resting on top of this support will sag less
• The support will be stronger, improving reliability of the print.
• Its harder to remove the support due to increased adhesion surface.
• It will take more material and duration will be high.
Settings – CURA
Skirt :
A skirt is a single line encircling your print. It will not directly contribute anything to
build plate adhesion.
It causes the nozzle to prime before starting the printing of your actual model, to make
sure that the material is properly flowing.

Brim :
Brim is a single flat area around the base of your model.
The bigger surface area allows your print to stick better to the build plate.
This brim will also keep the edges of your print down.

Raft :
A Raft is a thick plate between the model and the build plate. This raft shields your print
from the heat of the build plate. It will also have a lot of surface area to stick to the
build plate.
Settings – CURA

Experimental settings :

Spiralize outer contour : nothing but vase mode.

Enable conical support : prints support in conical format.

Tree support : supports cover the entire model from all sides.

Draft shield : a wall around the model at an offset is printed to prevent warping.

Enable coasting : this avoids blobs around the corners.

Settings – CURA