3D printers cannot print in mid-air. Because gravity exists, any part of a model that overhangs beyond a certain angle (usually 45-50 degrees) will sag or fail entirely.
To solve this, slicers generate Supports—temporary plastic towers built underneath the overhangs.
Types of Supports
1. Standard / Grid Supports
These build a solid, blocky scaffolding underneath the entire overhang.
- Pros: Very stable, good for massive, flat horizontal overhangs.
- Cons: Uses a lot of plastic, takes a long time to print, and can leave ugly scars on the surface of your model when removed.
2. Tree / Organic Supports
These look like tree branches growing from the build plate, wrapping around the model to only touch the exact spots that need support.
- Pros: Saves massive amounts of filament, extremely easy to snap off, and leaves a much cleaner surface finish.
- Cons: Can sometimes break mid-print if the branches get too tall and thin.
How to Get Perfect Support Removal
If your supports fuse to your model and require pliers and sanding to remove, your Z-Distance is wrong.
- Support Z-Distance: This is the vertical gap between the top of the support and the bottom of your model.
- The Magic Number: Set this gap to exactly one layer height. (e.g., If you are printing at 0.2mm layer height, set Support Z-Distance to 0.2mm).
If you are using PETG, PETG loves to stick to itself. You might need to increase the gap to 0.25mm to ensure the supports break away cleanly.
(When you download our CAD models, we design them to require as little support as possible, utilizing 45-degree chamfers wherever we can!)