Stop Guessing: I Built a FREE App for Your Best 3D Slicer Settings

Hey, this is Mike from Minimal3DP.

I’ve had a lot of time to think recently while recovering from heart surgery, and I put that time to use. Today, I want to talk about “the best 3D printer slicer settings” and what that really means.

We’ve all seen videos (even from my own channel) about the “best” settings. But when you open a modern slicer—my choice is OrcaSlicer—you’ll find hundreds, maybe thousands of different settings. The truth is, there is no single perfect setting for every scenario.

What You’ll Learn

• ✅ Why there’s no “one size fits all” slicer setting
• ✅ How to use academic research to optimize your prints
• ✅ How the new OrcaSlicer Expert Assistant works
• ✅ How to prioritize settings for strength, speed, quality, or accuracy
• ✅ What 130+ manufacturer data sheets reveal about filament properties

The Problem: Too Many Settings, Not Enough Guidance

Instead of claiming one perfect setting exists, what we’re really doing is optimizing for a specific goal, whether that’s:

• Aesthetics and quality - For display models and miniatures
• Strength - For functional parts and mechanical components
• Flexibility - For parts that need to bend or compress
• Surface roughness - For smooth finishes or specific textures
• Dimensional accuracy - For parts that must fit together precisely

Each goal requires different settings, and that’s where most tutorials fall short.

My Approach: Using Research, Not Just Opinion

Rather than just giving you my opinion, I’m a big proponent of using Google Scholar. It’s a search engine for academic papers and journal articles. I typically filter my searches to find new articles (e.g., since 2021) to see what parameters affect what properties.

For example, a quick search for “FDM 3D printing process parameters” brings up articles that show exactly how slicer settings impact mechanical properties. I found one article I really like that provides a systematic survey of these parameters and their influence on part characteristics. It has a great diagram showing how settings affect:

• Build time
• Dimensional accuracy
• Surface roughness
• Flexural, compressive, and tensile strength

This research is incredibly helpful, but it’s not easy for everyone to parse. So, I started working on a program to help pull these settings from journal articles and give you a clear reference.

Introducing: The OrcaSlicer Expert Assistant

I’m excited to show you what I’ve built: The OrcaSlicer Expert Assistant.

While it’s named for OrcaSlicer, the principles and recommendations should work for any slicer you use, including PrusaSlicer and Cura.

Watch the Full Tutorial

How It Works: Three Simple Steps

The tool is designed to be simple and intuitive.

Step 1: Select Your Filament

First, you select the filament you want to use. This is more than just a name—I’ve fed data from over 130 manufacturer technical data sheets into the app. I used AI to extract all the technical information (strength, heat distortion, glass transition temperature, chemical resistance, etc.) from those PDFs.

This means when you select a material like ABS, the app will give you:

Important Warnings:

• 🔥 Heated enclosure required
• 💧 Must be dried before use
• 🌫️ Ventilation needed (releases fumes)

Material Benefits:

• ✅ Good chemical resistance
• ✅ High strength-to-weight ratio
• ✅ Good heat resistance

You can also check out my complete filament guide for more details on each material type.

Step 2: Set Your Print Priorities

Next, you set your print priority on a scale from 0 (I don’t care) to 100 (max priority) for four key areas:

• 💪 Strength: For functional parts, tools, and mechanical properties
• ⚡ Speed: Great for iterating on a design and rapid prototyping
• ✨ Quality: For display models, miniatures, and aesthetics
• 📏 Accuracy: Critical for prints that need to fit together

The app understands that these priorities often conflict. For example, maximum speed usually reduces quality. The tool balances these trade-offs based on your priorities.

Step 3: Get Expert Recommendations

Once you hit “Get Expert Recommendations,” the tool analyzes your priorities and the filament data to give you a solid starting point.

Example 1: Dimensional Accuracy Priority

If you set Dimensional Accuracy to 100%:

• ⚠️ The app will point out that shrinkage is a factor
• 🐌 Recommend a slower outer wall speed (improves precision)
• 🕸️ Recommend using the Arachne wall generator (better dimensional control)
• 📐 Suggest layer height of 0.12 to 0.16mm (optimal for accuracy)

Example 2: Strength + Speed Priority

If you bump up Mechanical Strength and Build Time:

• 🔥 Recommend higher print temperatures (better layer adhesion)
• 📊 Suggest specific infill patterns (grid or honeycomb for strength)
• ⚙️ Optimize speeds and acceleration for faster prints
• 🎯 Balance layer height for strength vs speed trade-off

Built on Real Data, Not Guesswork

What makes this tool different from other “best settings” guides:

✅ 130+ manufacturer technical data sheets analyzed
✅ Academic research from peer-reviewed journals
✅ Systematic approach to parameter optimization
✅ Material-specific recommendations based on properties
✅ Priority-based balancing of conflicting goals

A Good Start, Not a Final Answer

None of this is “perfect,” but it’s designed to give you a clear idea of how to set your settings in your slicer based on actual research, not just my opinion.

I’m not saying this is the be-all, end-all, but if you’re new to 3D printing and trying to figure out what settings to use, this should be a great start for you.

More Free Tools from Minimal 3DP

If you find the OrcaSlicer Expert Assistant helpful, check out my other free calculators:

• FDM Cost Calculator - Calculate true print costs including electricity and time
• Shrinkage Calculator - Compensate for material shrinkage in precision parts
• All Tools - Browse all free 3D printing tools

Support This Work

I did add some affiliate links for different filaments on the side of the app. My hope is that this will help generate a little revenue that I can plow right back into my work for the channel and developing more free tools for the community.

If you’d like to support my work:

• 🔔 Subscribe on YouTube (5000+ subscribers)
• 📅 Book a free 15-minute consultation
• 🛒 Use affiliate links when buying filament (no extra cost to you)

Try It Now

Please, check out the app and let me know what you think. If you have any questions, comments, or notice any errors, please let me know.

Next Steps

After you get your recommended settings:

1. Calibrate your printer - Ensure your printer is properly calibrated
2. Learn OrcaSlicer features - Master the slicer’s advanced features
3. Calculate print costs - Know the true cost of your prints
4. Join the community - Ask questions and share results

I look forward to talking to you again soon. Thanks, and have a great day!

Related Content

• Complete 3D Printing Filament Guide 2025
• OrcaSlicer Tutorials
• Klipper Calibration Hub
• Free 3D Printing Calculators

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