Which Cura settings affect small features?

[aidtopia 0]

Using OpenSCAD, I've been putting some raised text labels on my designs.  When I print them with my Ultimaker 2, the text is often has gaps.  I thought this was a printing problem, but I recently realized that the slicer is dropping parts of the text.  I assume that's because these parts are very small.  Are there Cura settings that control which small features are skipped?

 

Here's an OpenSCAD script that illustrates the problem by generating a string of digits in the Arial typeface at sizes of 2, 3, 4, and 5 mm.

module sample(size=10) {
    cube([8*size+2, size+4, 2]);
    translate([2, 2, 1.9]) linear_extrude(2) text("0123456789", size=size, font="Arial");
}

for (i=[0:3]) {
    size= i + 2;
    translate([0, 14*i, 0]) sample(size=size);
}

 

The attached photos show how OpenSCAD renders the STL and how Cura is slicing it with the normal profile.  The 2mm text is missing completely, which seems reasonable.  The 3mm text is also missing, but the slicer instructs the print head to travel to where it would be.  At 4mm (which is the size I keep ending up with in my designs), the text is mostly present, but the figures are broken:  the diagonal from the digit '4' is missing and the curves at the tops and bottoms of the round digits are broken.  At 5mm (and above) the text remains intact.

 

I've tried using the Fine and Extra Fine profiles, but those mostly just change the layer height, which is not the issue here.  I've tried to search for settings related to small or fine features, but I haven't found any that seems to affect the slicer's behavior in this regard.

 

In many cases, I can increase my text size, but, when I'm constrained to a slightly smaller size, are Cura settings I could adjust to reduce the skipping of the fine strokes of small-ish text?

 

Thanks.

 

[nallath 1,098]

The arachne version of Cura is much better at printing features like this: https://support.ultimaker.com/hc/en-us/articles/360018439500-Ultimaker-Cura-Arachne-engine-beta-version

In both versions you should ensure that "print thin walls" is enabled.

[aidtopia 0]

Thanks!  Enabling "print thin walls" setting improves things with the standard version.  I'll try the Arachne engine soon.

[gr5 1,967]

I think you will find the quality of letters and numbers increases greatly if you have them go into the part instead of sticking out.  Also if you put them on a side wall of a part it's even better.  I usually have them stick into the part by 0.3mm.