Orientation Of Print

[Taolin 0]

Hey everyone,

I'm new here and I just got into 3D printing. I'm loving it so far!

I had a quick question about print orientation. Obviously, choosing an orientation that will limit the amount of overhangs as much as possible is a plus, but how do you choose which side should be on the bottom?

The issue I have is that the bottom part that will be touching the plate, will always look different than the other surfaces because of the first layer. It will typically look shiny and glass like. But what if I don't have a surface that I can easily hide especially when I'm considering the whole overhang issue.

Is there something I can do to avoid this? Using a raft? Or do you just rely on post processing with some sanding etc to get around these kinds of things?

Thanks in advance for any insights!

Cheers!

[StephanK 30]

Printing with a raft will get you a different surface, yes. Different, but not necessarily "better", as it has its own issues with respect to surface quality. Another option is to stick some blue painters tape on your build plate, this too changes the surface.. Even glue stick will change how your bottom surface looks. Or a carbon plate, or Buildtak, or..