Hello all. When printing litophane images with the default settings from MakerLab, using a 0.4 nozzle, and either 0.20 or 0.16 layer height, both in the A1 and A1 mini, we keep getting these lumps on the back of the print.
Sometimes there are single lumps, and sometimes if feels like the layer was shaken somehow. If you look at the middle/bottom-right, the issue repeats, but only specifically where the dress of the person on the image is. Same happened with hats, skin, etc. The bumpiness never goes from one element of the image to another, with the exception of the top part of the image below, where it looks like entire layers were shaken.
I’ve tried to print flat, but I only have a textured plate and when I tested with petg, the top ended up really bad.
Also, ever since I started doing litophanes on the A1 mini, when it reaches 30% of a specific print it immediately complains about the filament being stuck or the bed being misplaced. Only on this one print, and not on a benchy or any other type of print, smaller or bigger. Could it be an issue with the generated print from the litophane maker?
Any help is appreciated.
I can’t really see anything from your picture (basically white on white), and I assumeing you are not talking about the normal bumps caused by image detail.
Could you post a picture with a light behind the lithophane and maybe an edge shot of that area if one is close to the edge?
You stated you tested with PETG, have you also done PLA and had the same results? Do you have a second nozzle to test with?
I tested with Petg only once. Most of the prints were done in PLA.
I’ll post front and back images here, focusing on the dress we can see the white spots only inside of it. When looking at the back, we can see the “dress-shaped” print issues on the middle-to-right side of the print (circled in red)
Front:
Back:
Back with no light:
Edit: Speaking to my friend, I think there is something related to the image brightness/print thickness, since with the 0.2 nozzle the issue disappears, but I might be wrong here.
Also, this print was bad (brightness/contrast wise, the guy’s suit is just one flat thing, amongst other issues). But the white spots appear in other prints as well, including on a small piece that I did using this image but with default settings
I was wondering about thickness. If I am focusing on the correct area it looks like the issue is at the “brightest” therefore thinest area of the lithophane?
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Probably, I’ve checked the thickness and the best I could measure was 1.4mm, not sure if I’m doing anything wrong here since measuring is kinda hard, but it seems to be a very thin area.
It has almost a “basket weave” texture to it. Like it is 1 layer thick and about every other row of filament is sort of drooping.
I will say that personally I always use a 0.2 nozzle because I like the results better but the 0.2 and 0.4 are pretty close so I could just be imageing a lot of it. I use a P1S and a different software and usually non-default settings.
I had one print with the 0.2 nozzle where the issue was almost 99% gone. Main issue is time, as it almost doubles the print time.
But if there are no other solutions then I’ll go to the 0.2 nozzle.
Thanks for the help.
It may just be more of an issue with the high-contrast ones. Something that has the darker/lighter areas closer to each other may do fine with the 0.4 (if indeed that is what the issue is).
If there was a way to make the overall thickness more then the light area should have more support. My be worth a test if you ever have the time and are curious.
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