Infill pattern: what the inside of a 3D print looks like

Why there is more than one pattern

Infill is not solid mass, but a regular structure. According to the Prusa overview and the OrcaSlicer wiki, patterns differ in how well they hold in each direction, how quickly they print and how much material they use. No pattern is best at everything.

The most common patterns

• Grid and triangles. Quick, simple, strong in the plane of the layers. Triangles carry side forces well.
• Honeycomb. Strong and stable, but slower and harder on the printer.
• Lines (rectilinear). Very fast, excellent under the top surface, but weaker in one direction.
• Gyroid. A curved structure that holds equally in all directions, see gyroid.
• Cubic. Joins the shape in three dimensions and suits as a universal compromise.

What you can influence with us

In the calculator you choose a strength with three levels: light 10%, standard 15% and strong 40% infill. You do not choose a specific pattern, and we do not promise it can be changed. Density, the thickness of the walls and the direction of the layers make more difference to strength than the pattern itself. The price is worked out from the real grams and time after print preparation.

Practical tips

If a part carries a load, choose a stronger infill and add thicker walls. For mock-ups, a light infill saves material and time. Under a large surface on top there must be enough solid layers, otherwise the infill shows through on the surface.

How the pattern affects time and use of material

The same infill density does not mean the same consumption and time. Simple patterns such as lines or a grid are quick, because the nozzle moves in straight lines. More complex, curved or three-dimensional patterns are slower, because the nozzle changes direction often. With us you do not have to deal with that: print preparation works out the time and grams, and the price and delivery date come from them.

For a part that will flex, it also matters that infill is printed in layers. The strength between layers is always lower than the strength in the plane of a layer, so the orientation of the part during printing has an effect too.