{"id":164693,"date":"2022-04-30T10:21:11","date_gmt":"2022-04-30T02:21:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/?post_type=kb&p=164693"},"modified":"2022-08-12T11:39:08","modified_gmt":"2022-08-12T03:39:08","slug":"3d-printing-raft-vs-brim-vs-skirt-the-differences","status":"publish","type":"kb","link":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/3d-printing-raft-vs-brim-vs-skirt-the-differences","title":{"rendered":"3D Printing Raft vs Brim vs Skirt: The Differences"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Raft vs. brim vs. skirt: All three features are unique and address different problems. Check out this simple guide to know which to choose.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The first layer is what most people consider the beginning of a print, but it\u2019s not always the first thing printed on the build plate. Most of the time, your slicer<\/a>\u00a0profile will have an adhesion assistant activated, which is printed before the first layer in a print.<\/p>\n

These adhesion assistants are meant to achieve two main tasks. The first is to check that your printer\u2019s extrusion is working properly by laying out some filament before starting on your print. The second purpose is, in most cases, to help the first layer stay attached to the build plate throughout the print.<\/p>\n

Adhesion assistants come in three forms: skirt, brim, and raft. Each is different in its structure and usefulness, and, in this article, we\u2019ll go over each one. For each type of assistant, we\u2019ll discuss what it is, when to use it, some advantages and disadvantages,\u00a0relevant slicer settings<\/a>, and more.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll look into the main settings for skirts, brims, and rafts that can be modified in the latest stable version of\u00a0Ultimaker Cura<\/a>\u00a0(version 4.13.1,\u00a05.0 is currently in beta<\/a>). We\u2019ve opted for it as this is the most popular 3D slicer program, but the adhesion assistant settings are similar to other\u00a03D slicers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Enjoy!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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SKIRT<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
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In our first section, we\u2019ll be going over the skirt form of adhesion assistant. While a skirt doesn\u2019t directly help adhere a model to the build plate, it primes the\u00a0nozzle<\/a>\u00a0before a print and indicates how level the bed is. In the sections below, we\u2019ll discuss more about skirts and how they are helpful!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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What Is It?<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
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A skirt goes around the first layer of a print but doesn’t touch it (Source: conny_g via Ultimaker)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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A skirt is the least intensive type of adhesion assistant when it comes to added print time, material consumption, and first layer adhesion. A skirt takes the form of a small perimeter that surrounds the area of a print but doesn\u2019t connect to it or touch the first layer at all. It can be a few nozzle-passes wide (multiple lines), but it\u2019s always only one layer in height.<\/p>\n

Although we typically refer to a skirt as a type of adhesion assistant, it doesn\u2019t actually provide adherence for the first layer like the other forms of adhesion assistants. That\u2019s because, without being directly attached to the rest of the first layer, it doesn\u2019t expand the model\u2019s surface area that touches the build plate, therefore not affecting the model\u2019s print bed adherence.<\/p>\n

Skirts, however, do help you make sure that your printer\u2019s extrusion is working properly and are also a great tool to check your printer\u2019s bed levelness. Moreover, seeing the skirt come out okay will indicate that your nozzle isn\u2019t\u00a0clogged<\/a>\u00a0or that it isn\u2019t too close or too far in certain areas of the bed where your printer will later be printing your full 3D model.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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When To Use It?<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
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A skirt is good for testing that your bed is level (Source: Mari via Ultimaker Community)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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As skirts are more indicators of the printer\u2019s readiness, we suggest using them for prints where you don\u2019t expect bed adhesion to be a problem. This includes models with a large surface area resting on the print surface because these aren\u2019t as likely to\u00a0warp<\/a>\u00a0or have other adhesion issues.<\/p>\n

You should also consider using a skirt when you\u2019re concerned about material consumption and print time. This is usually the case for large prints because skirts will use the least amount of filament and take the least amount of time compared to the other adhesion assistants.<\/p>\n

Of course, if you don\u2019t need to be reassured that your printer\u2019s extrusion is running smoothly and that your bed is level, then you might not even want to use a skirt. However, it\u2019s generally recommended that you always use a skirt (when you\u2019re not using a brim or a raft) because it costs almost no time or material and can be quite beneficial.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Pros & Cons<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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A skirt uses very little material compared to a brim or raft (Source: zpm3atlantis via Ultimaker Community)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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PROS<\/strong><\/h4>\n