<p>There's a lot that can be done to improve the removability of supports, and much of this is not widely known/published.</p>
<p>One big wrong default in Cura that contributes to problems with support is <em>Limit Support Retractions</em>, which defaults to on. This causes heavy stringing between components of the support structure that should be separate, and poor layer adhesion between layers of the support <em>and between layers of whatever is printed right after the support</em> (!!), making support more brittle and difficult to remove in clean chunks. This setting should be turned off.</p>
<p>I find <em>Enable Support Brim</em> is also useful. Its nominal purpose is to make supports adhere to the bed better, but it also gives them more of a solid bottom so that the structure is rigid and admits snapping off as a chunk.</p>
<p>A nonzero <em>Support Wall Line Count</em> (it's zero by default for zigzag and most support patterns, but one by default for support tree and others) can make chunks of support easier to remove by making them more rigid.</p>
<p><em>Connect Support Lines</em> (also called <code>zig_zaggify_infill</code>) helps with rigidity too, and with reducing time wasted on retractions once you turn off <em>Limit Support Retractions</em>.</p>
<p>Aside from these less-well-known tunables, the obvious ones are <em>Support Z Distance</em> and <em>Support X/Y Distance</em>, especially Z. You can increase this slightly from the default to make supports easier to remove, but it will hurt the quality of the surface just above the support (making it less flat, more stringy like a bridge). And the biggest one of all is <em>Support Angle</em>. Generally increase it as high as you can go, after doing some test prints to determine the maximum overhang angle you can print without support. This will save material and make it easier to remove what supports remain.</p>
<p>Finally, aside from support options, you want to make sure you don't have underlying print problems causing oozing, bulging, or other dimensional-accuracy/extrusion-accuracy issues. This is because any material that is printed or expands into the wrong place will, if it's adjacent to support material, bond to the support material and make it hard to remove.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-09T14:56:33.527Z
I am getting heavy stringing so I will look into your comments. Thank you
Ghoster
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-08T18:53:15.580Z
2020-08-08T18:53:15.580Z
R.. GitHub STOP HELPING ICE
<p>You could reduce the <code>Support Density</code>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>A higher value results in better overhangs, but the supports are harder to remove.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Furthermore read <a href="https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/7991/">this answer</a> on question: &quot;<a href="https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/7989/difficult-to-remove-support-material/">Difficult to remove support material</a>&quot;.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-08T18:33:47.350Z
2020-08-08T18:33:47.350Z
0scar
<p>Is there a way of reducing the amount and strength of Model support when slicing in Cura?</p>
<p>Cleaning a model with large amounts of support can consume large amounts of time.</p>

<ultimaker-cura><3d-models><support-structures>
Is there a more efficient methods of removing support in a model?
Ghoster
# Is there a more efficient methods of removing support in a model?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-08-08)

Is there a way of reducing the amount and strength of Model support when slicing in Cura?

Cleaning a model with large amounts of support can consume large amounts of time.

**Tags:** ultimaker-cura, 3d-models, support-structures

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-08-08. Score: 2

There's a lot that can be done to improve the removability of supports, and much of this is not widely known/published.

One big wrong default in Cura that contributes to problems with support is *Limit Support Retractions*, which defaults to on. This causes heavy stringing between components of the support structure that should be separate, and poor layer adhesion between layers of the support *and between layers of whatever is printed right after the support* (!!), making support more brittle and difficult to remove in clean chunks. This setting should be turned off.

I find *Enable Support Brim* is also useful. Its nominal purpose is to make supports adhere to the bed better, but it also gives them more of a solid bottom so that the structure is rigid and admits snapping off as a chunk.

A nonzero *Support Wall Line Count* (it's zero by default for zigzag and most support patterns, but one by default for support tree and others) can make chunks of support easier to remove by making them more rigid.

*Connect Support Lines* (also called `zig_zaggify_infill`) helps with rigidity too, and with reducing time wasted on retractions once you turn off *Limit Support Retractions*.

Aside from these less-well-known tunables, the obvious ones are *Support Z Distance* and *Support X/Y Distance*, especially Z. You can increase this slightly from the default to make supports easier to remove, but it will hurt the quality of the surface just above the support (making it less flat, more stringy like a bridge). And the biggest one of all is *Support Angle*. Generally increase it as high as you can go, after doing some test prints to determine the maximum overhang angle you can print without support. This will save material and make it easier to remove what supports remain.

Finally, aside from support options, you want to make sure you don't have underlying print problems causing oozing, bulging, or other dimensional-accuracy/extrusion-accuracy issues. This is because any material that is printed or expands into the wrong place will, if it's adjacent to support material, bond to the support material and make it hard to remove.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I am getting heavy stringing so I will look into your comments. Thank you  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-08-08. Score: 1

You could reduce the `Support Density`:

> A higher value results in better overhangs, but the supports are harder to remove.

Furthermore read [this answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/7991/) on question: "[Difficult to remove support material](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/7989/difficult-to-remove-support-material/)".


---

