<h2>Nozzle size isn't what matters most time - Line width is</h2>
<p>On many printers, it is actually common to print with a line width <a href="https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/6965/why-is-it-conventional-to-set-line-width-nozzle-diameter">larger than the nozzle size</a>. This is typical for many i3 style machines, such as Prusa I3 or Ender3. For a 0.4 mm nozzle on those two, the standard line width in Prusaslicer is set to 0.45 mm.</p>
<p>On Ultimaker Machines, the default in several slicers on the other hand is nozzle size to slightly lower (0.4 or 0.38 mm).</p>
<p>In any way, the factor you should remember here is the <strong>line width</strong> set in your slicer, which is dependent on the nozzle diameter. However, that is not the nozzle diameter itself.</p>
<h2>When to use line width in designing</h2>
<p>It is generally not advisable to design parts that are less than one wall thick. The slicer will usually drop those sections or, if not outright ignoring those sections, will result in considerable print artifacts. So, as a rule of thumb, the <strong>line width is the <em>minimum</em> thickness you should design for.</strong></p>
<p>If you try to create sturdy walls, such as for containers, using an exact multiple of that line width is very common, which in turn creates very fast layers: two perimeters of 0.45 mm come out as a 0.9 mm wall, three to 1.35 mm, and so on. But that all depends on <strong>your</strong> line width.</p>
<h2>When to ignore line width</h2>
<p>If your item isn't structural in any way, forget anything about line width. Just design your aesthetic parts, and only in the end make sure that thin sections are at least one line width thick - by tossing your item into the slicer, check which sections are ignored, then thickening just those areas till you are happy with the approximation of the slicer.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-11T22:31:14.667Z
You can go further than 110 %, see [this answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/20721/) and the discussion underneath.
0scar
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-11T22:45:48.333Z
@0scar indeed, but it's the bottom line^^
Trish
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-12T05:49:44.340Z
Not exactly, that is still with 0.45 mm lines. A 0.4 mm nozzle can do 0.8 mm lines easily. https://youtu.be/tJHnx89Fmi0?feature=shared Furthermore, Ultimaker has adopted a theory where the standard linewidth is smaller than the nozzle diameter. E.g. when using a 0.4 mm core the linewidth is set to 0.38 mm (this is standard set for you when you have an Ultimaker), so the nozzle diameter is not the minimum at which you can print.
0scar
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-17T13:08:15.600Z
It is not "common" to print with more than 110-115% of nozzle diameter. It is done, but for most users, which don't tweak anything, it's not common. Cura defaults to 100%, for example... (at least on UM2)
FarO
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-17T13:30:35.197Z
@FarO clarified - you should design for your machine's line width, not some arbitrary number in any way.
Trish
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-11T18:06:28.087Z
2023-11-17T13:30:07.097Z
2023-11-17T13:30:07.097Z
Trish
<p>It would depend on what you are printing and the tolerances that you require.</p>
<p>For example, if you are producing engineering parts, and are a skilled designer, then you should take the nozzle size and layer height into consideration. Though the order of wall printing will probably be of more interest to you (If you print the inner walls first then the outer walls might bulge outwards slightly, and vice versa).</p>
<p>If you ware making garage kit style sculptures and busts, then you don't really need to think about the nozzle at all. Your slicing software will automatically adjust the print to fit what is possible and the slight differences won't make much of a difference.</p>
<p>If you're trying to print warhammer size figures, then yes you do need to take the nozzle width into consideration as it will effect the small details that you print. Which is why people mostly choose resin printers for this scale.</p>
<p>If you're only an average skill designer making items that don't require extremely delicate details or high tolerances for practical parts, then don't really need to even think about your nozzle.</p>
<p>I have an Ender 5 that's still using the 0.4 mm nozzle that it shipped with quite happily.</p>
<p><strong>TLDR</strong>: If you're new to 3D printing and aren't trying to print Warhammer figures or engineering parts, you can largely forget about your nozzle. You won't notice the difference until you're much more skilled at modelling and are looking to do resin quality tollerances.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-13T14:23:07.313Z
Thanks for your answer! I think I like the pain because my first ever "from zero to 3D print" thing was a [40mmx20mm case for an LD2410B sensor](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F-qCP-fX0AAuK2r?format=jpg&name=large) that fail on the joint because it merged :/
distante
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-12T10:57:25.123Z
2023-11-12T13:43:06.667Z
2023-11-12T13:43:06.667Z
Aaargh Zombies
<p>I am really new to 3D printing. I started with downloaded stuff about 2 months ago and now I am starting to do my own &quot;easy&quot; things.</p>
<p>While looking at tutorials I heard one of them talking about doing a chaffer of a specific size/height because he had a 0.40 mm Nozzle (the same as the one I have with an Anycubic Vyper). This got me thinking about if I should also take into consideration my Nozzle size for when I try to design something.</p>
<p>For example, should I think about multiples of 0.40 mm when deciding overall lengths or heights?</p>
<p>If I need to create space between 2 pieces, or joint pieces, should I always have to leave a multiple of 0.40 mm space between those pieces?</p>
<p>I have tried to find out info about this but I just found info about the importance of the Nozzle size at the time of print, but not at design time.</p>
<p>I am using Fusion 360 if that info is needed.</p>

<3d-design><nozzle><fusion360>
Does one has to take into consideration the nozzle diameter while designing something that will be 3D printed?
distante
# Does one has to take into consideration the nozzle diameter while designing something that will be 3D printed?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-11-11)

I am really new to 3D printing. I started with downloaded stuff about 2 months ago and now I am starting to do my own "easy" things.

While looking at tutorials I heard one of them talking about doing a chaffer of a specific size/height because he had a 0.40 mm Nozzle (the same as the one I have with an Anycubic Vyper). This got me thinking about if I should also take into consideration my Nozzle size for when I try to design something.

For example, should I think about multiples of 0.40 mm when deciding overall lengths or heights?

If I need to create space between 2 pieces, or joint pieces, should I always have to leave a multiple of 0.40 mm space between those pieces?

I have tried to find out info about this but I just found info about the importance of the Nozzle size at the time of print, but not at design time.

I am using Fusion 360 if that info is needed.

**Tags:** 3d-design, nozzle, fusion360

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2023-11-11. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

## Nozzle size isn't what matters most time - Line width is

On many printers, it is actually common to print with a line width [larger than the nozzle size](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/6965/why-is-it-conventional-to-set-line-width-nozzle-diameter). This is typical for many i3 style machines, such as Prusa I3 or Ender3. For a 0.4 mm nozzle on those two, the standard line width in Prusaslicer is set to 0.45 mm.

On Ultimaker Machines, the default in several slicers on the other hand is nozzle size to slightly lower (0.4 or 0.38 mm).

In any way, the factor you should remember here is the **line width** set in your slicer, which is dependent on the nozzle diameter. However, that is not the nozzle diameter itself.

## When to use line width in designing

It is generally not advisable to design parts that are less than one wall thick. The slicer will usually drop those sections or, if not outright ignoring those sections, will result in considerable print artifacts. So, as a rule of thumb, the **line width is the *minimum* thickness you should design for.**

If you try to create sturdy walls, such as for containers, using an exact multiple of that line width is very common, which in turn creates very fast layers: two perimeters of 0.45 mm come out as a 0.9 mm wall, three to 1.35 mm, and so on. But that all depends on **your** line width.

## When to ignore line width

If your item isn't structural in any way, forget anything about line width. Just design your aesthetic parts, and only in the end make sure that thin sections are at least one line width thick - by tossing your item into the slicer, check which sections are ignored, then thickening just those areas till you are happy with the approximation of the slicer.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: You can go further than 110 %, see [this answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/20721/) and the discussion underneath.  
> **username_1**: @0scar indeed, but it's the bottom line^^  
> **username_2**: Not exactly, that is still with 0.45 mm lines. A 0.4 mm nozzle can do 0.8 mm lines easily. https://youtu.be/tJHnx89Fmi0?feature=shared Furthermore, Ultimaker has adopted a theory where the standard linewidth is smaller than the nozzle diameter. E.g. when using a 0.4 mm core the linewidth is set to 0.38 mm (this is standard set for you when you have an Ultimaker), so the nozzle diameter is not the minimum at which you can print.  
> **username_3**: It is not "common" to print with more than 110-115% of nozzle diameter. It is done, but for most users, which don't tweak anything, it's not common. Cura defaults to 100%, for example... (at least on UM2)  
> **username_1**: @FarO clarified - you should design for your machine's line width, not some arbitrary number in any way.  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2023-11-12. Score: 0

It would depend on what you are printing and the tolerances that you require.

For example, if you are producing engineering parts, and are a skilled designer, then you should take the nozzle size and layer height into consideration. Though the order of wall printing will probably be of more interest to you (If you print the inner walls first then the outer walls might bulge outwards slightly, and vice versa).

If you ware making garage kit style sculptures and busts, then you don't really need to think about the nozzle at all. Your slicing software will automatically adjust the print to fit what is possible and the slight differences won't make much of a difference.

If you're trying to print warhammer size figures, then yes you do need to take the nozzle width into consideration as it will effect the small details that you print. Which is why people mostly choose resin printers for this scale.

If you're only an average skill designer making items that don't require extremely delicate details or high tolerances for practical parts, then don't really need to even think about your nozzle.

I have an Ender 5 that's still using the 0.4 mm nozzle that it shipped with quite happily.

**TLDR**: If you're new to 3D printing and aren't trying to print Warhammer figures or engineering parts, you can largely forget about your nozzle. You won't notice the difference until you're much more skilled at modelling and are looking to do resin quality tollerances.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks for your answer! I think I like the pain because my first ever "from zero to 3D print" thing was a [40mmx20mm case for an LD2410B sensor](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F-qCP-fX0AAuK2r?format=jpg&name=large) that fail on the joint because it merged :/  

---

