Blog
Practical 3D printing from the people behind the ATN Slicer and Printer Farm: first-layer settings, failure diagnosis, slicer profiles, running a print farm, and what we learn running one.
AI vs ChatGPT for 3D Printing Help: What Each Actually Gets Right
If you want a quick G-code command explained or a rough troubleshooting checklist at 1am, ChatGPT will hand you something usable in seconds. If you want a photo of a…
Downloadable Slicer Profile Patch Fix: Why Imports Fail and How to Make Them Work
A downloadable slicer profile patch fix works only when three things line up: the file format matches the slicer, its version key is compatible with your install, and…
What Material for Functional 3D Printed Parts? A Load-Based Guide to Picking the Right Filament
The right material for functional 3D printed parts is the one that survives your specific load case — mechanical stress, temperature, chemicals, UV or repeated flexion —…
Slicer-Specific Print Fix Recommendations: The Exact Settings for Cura, PrusaSlicer and OrcaSlicer
The same print defect has a different fix name in every slicer, and using the wrong tool’s advice is why so much troubleshooting goes nowhere. Elephant’s foot is Initial…
Z-Hop and Retraction Settings for PETG: The Numbers That Actually Stop Stringing
For a direct-drive printer, start PETG at a retraction distance of 1–2 mm, a retraction speed of 30–40 mm/s, and Z-hop of 0.2 mm — then calibrate with a retraction…
Layer Shifting: Causes and Fix for Clean, Aligned Prints
Layer shifting shows up as a sudden horizontal step in the walls of a print — everything above a certain height is offset from everything below it, usually along the X…
Fix Poor Layer Adhesion Strength: The Settings That Actually Bond Your Layers
Layer adhesion is a thermal problem before it is anything else. Every new layer has to briefly re-melt the surface of the layer beneath it so the polymer chains diffuse…
Motorsport 3D Printing in the UK: Where Additive Manufacturing Actually Earns Its Place
Motorsport 3D printing in the UK isn’t a novelty any more — it’s baked into how teams design, test and race. From wind-tunnel models in Enstone to on-car components at…
Why Is My 3D Print Failing? A No-Nonsense Diagnostic Guide
If you’re asking “why is my 3D print failing?”, you’re almost certainly looking at one of a handful of repeat offenders: a first layer that didn’t stick, corners lifting…
Flow Rate Calibration in OrcaSlicer: The Exact Method, Values and Fixes
Get your flow ratio wrong and everything downstream suffers: weak layers, gaps on top surfaces, blobby corners and parts that measure a fraction off. If you print…
OrcaSlicer INI Profile Download: How to Import, Convert and Store Configs the Right Way
Search for an orcaslicer ini profile download and you’ll hit a confusing mix of file extensions, half-right forum posts and menu paths that don’t exist in your version.…
How to Fix Stringing in 3D Prints: The Settings That Actually Kill the Wisps
Stringing is the fine cobweb of plastic threads left strung across your model when the nozzle moves between two points without extruding. It’s cosmetic, it’s annoying,…