The dimensions of my 3D print seem to deviate

The dimensions of my 3D print seem to deviate

How do you ensure correct dimensional accuracy?

• Nozzle alignment

  It is very important that your nozzle is aligned at the correct height of the print bed. If you print a line of 0.2mm while the nozzle is only 0.1mm away from the print bed, the print layer will be larger than intended. This will work through in the remaining layers, making the entire print larger. Therefore, always ensure a perfect first print layer.

• Calibrating your extruder

  Make sure your extruder is properly calibrated to avoid under or over extrusion. With under extrusion, too little filament is extruded, which means that your print will show holes. With over extrusion, too much filament is extruded, so that your print will have a bumpy, uneven surface. Only with exactly the right amount of filament will the dimensional accuracy be correct. Read more about calibrating your extruder in our 3D printer calibration article.

• Adjust the horizontal size compensation

  Have you gone through the above steps and have you noticed that regardless of the size of your print, it is always 0.1mm larger? Then you can adjust the value of the 'horizontal size compensation' or 'XY compensation' to -0.1mm so that your 3D object will have the correct dimensions. Is the print smaller? Then the value must be positive.

• Adjust the scale

  If the dimensional inaccuracy gets bigger, the object gets bigger too. Does this have to do with the print temperature and the filament you use? A number of filament types such as ABS are known to shrink during cooling. Therefore, measure the shrinkage percentage by dividing the deviation by the total size and adjust the scale. Example: for an object of 20mm that shrinks 0.1mm, the shrinkage percentage is: 0.1/20 x 100% = 0.5%. The new scale will then be 100.5%

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