Slicing

Slicing is how you turn a model you downloaded into a file your 3D printer can print.

STL Files

When you find things to print, they will usually delivered as .STL or .3MF files.

STL files are basically a bunch of triangles that describe how an object looks:

To print these models, they must first be converted into something your 3D printer can understand.

A slicer is a program that converts STL files into GCODE files, which your 3D printer can use.

After it's been converted to a GCODE file, you can generally just upload/copy that file to your 3D printer and it will be able to print it.

The two main slicers people use are:

Either one will work, however Cura supports more printers but we've had better print results with PrusaSlicer.

If you need help setting up your slicer let us know!

Next up: Recommended Printers