Brilliant even textured Mini surface finish, how to achieve it?
It suddenly dawned on me looking at the front of my Mini, that the 'awsome text effect' I've admired is simply bridging - the text is just indented, and the effect is the bridge over that gap on the first layer.
Looks great, and geniusly simple. But unfortunately that just leads me to marvel at something else - if that front panel ('original prusa MINI' connecting the aluminium extrusions) is the first layer.. that's an incredible finish, how is that achieved? Is it simply the textured sheet (which I don't have to try)? My first layers are nice and smooth to the touch, but have visible lines of 'squashed'-looking filament, not the nice even finish of that front panel.
RE: Brilliant even textured Mini surface finish, how to achieve it?
The textured sheet makes those first layer lines (almost) disappear. With the satin sheet you're somewhere in between. Still visible but not as prominent as with the smooth sheet. I must say I just received my first satin sheets -- love at first sight!
-r
RE: Brilliant even textured Mini surface finish, how to achieve it?
@fuchsr Agh, thanks. Wish I'd picked that one now, it's my first 3D printer and I think when I ordered I thought it was just about adhesion, so decided I'd get one later if it was a problem. (I only print functional stuff, but still want them to look decent if they're somewhere visible!)
What's the benefit of the satin sheet then, if it's not as good as textured in that regard? Closer to smooth in terms of adhesion? (Again, I think at the time I got it the wrong way around - I thought textured was to adhere better, more surface area, but I think I understand now it's actually for *less*, to make it easier to remove, but that as a result PLA in particular can struggle to stick at all? So satin gives some of the texture while still making it easier to print PLA?)
RE: Brilliant even textured Mini surface finish, how to achieve it?
Have a look at the Material Guide. They show what sheet to used for different materials (or maybe more important, what not to use)
And here is more about the satin sheet. https://help.prusa3d.com/en/article/satin-steel-sheet_196526
You will see that they think the satin sheet is usable most filaments without adding glue stick to keep it from sticking to much.
And it will give the printed part a textured first layer
RE: Brilliant even textured Mini surface finish, how to achieve it?
stupid short edit window on this forum. ☹️
For PLA I only use my smooth sheet as I had trouble getting PLA to stick to the textured sheet when I got my printer. I haven't tried it again, but the are many around here that can print PLA on the textured sheet. The satin sheet just makes it easier.
I will get a satin sheet when it is back in stock. Even if it is only to have options when I want to try something.
RE: Brilliant even textured Mini surface finish, how to achieve it?
If you're game for experimentation, you can get some interesting textures printing PLA on automotive textured vinyl. I applied some to a bare spring steel sheet a couple of years back and got some very nice results.
RE: Brilliant even textured Mini surface finish, how to achieve it?
You will see that they think the satin sheet is usable most filaments without adding glue stick to keep it from sticking to much.
And it will give the printed part a textured first layer
Which has been my experience. Everything sticks perfectly, everything just pops off when cooled down. And a nice texture of the first layer.
RE: Brilliant even textured Mini surface finish, how to achieve it?
@baklin
Have a look at the Material Guide.
Amazing, thank you! I asked hoping for something exactly like that on Reddit some time ago; best I found was 'makeitfrom', e.g. PETG: https://www.makeitfrom.com/material-properties/Glycol-Modified-Polyethylene-Terephthalate-PETG-PET-G but it's a clumsier UI than (and to be fair to it more detailed, but lacking some 3D-printing specific things from) that table. Bookmarked. 😊