I would like to achieve a bit more translucency when printing with translucent filaments. Are there layer settings that can help with this (solid infill, slight over-extrusion, etc.). In the end I would like to see some depth in the print in how the light interacts with it, instead of just a milky version of the specific translucent color. Are there calibration tweaks that are helpful for this that differ from standard calibration, like higher temps etc.?
1 Like
I created test calibration models for transparent PLA & PETG.
You use this as a starting point to t7 e your own filament to get it as best as you can without resorting to sanding, polishing and other non-printing techniques.
The most important thing to remember is the word transparent is very misleading, you are working with translucency and the degree of success comes from how translucent.
No current FDM can achieve transparent.
3 Likes
Fully understood, hence my use of the word translucency. I printed an initial test using the normal PolyLite PETG settings, and it came out like this (never mind the typo, I meant to write āTranslucentā instead of āTransparentā):
The red just looks like a matte red, there is no hint of translucency like the raw filament suggests.
I will work with your test model and see what I can do. Thanks for your help on this!
A lot of this comes from understanding how light travels. You should also use a smooth build plate.
Anything that splits or otherwise redirects light will move towards opaque and away from translucency.
You will see my profiles aim to align the direction of the printed model and in doing so, light has a single path to go through.
I didnāt make my profile slow, but, speed, or rather the lack of it can improve prints.
A textured build plate or a smooth one with a pattern (think effects plates from Bambu or carbon fibre effect) that remains on the base will greatly reduce the end results.
It can take some testing, but, with practice, filament that is honestly sold as translucent will come out well.
Coloured filaments are already less likely due to them reflecting colour to generic the red in your example.
1 Like
Iām using Bambuās smooth plate.
Will spend some time next week dialing this in using your test model. Thanks again!
I have a few āsee throughā PLA and PETG rolls.
It is often very easy to NOT get the expected result from them.
-
Print temp and speedā¦
Use a too low temp and while the filament might still bond good you can end up with like a mirror between layers.
The two shiny surfaces wonāt melt together properly and instead reflect and scatter the light BADLY.
Go too high on the temp (or have too much variation in the layer times) and you can mirco bubbles trapped, find the properties of the filament changed to opaque and worse.
The speed CAN be vital as well.
You want those lines melt together rather than just having the walls stuck together.
A low speed lets the filament flow out smooth and allows it to really squeeze into cavities.
At too high speed the outside of the extruded filament can be more like a roller coaster rideā¦
This means you can trap more air, create more scattering. -
Print settingsā¦
Just because something works well for standard filament does not mean it works the same for translucent filaments.
Thick layers are not always possible.
Multi part prints on the same plate can be very tricky or a nice fix when printing many small parts.
You really want the best consistency and the least variation during the printing.
What can make a nice and shiny filament go dull and solid in colour?
All of the above 
Usually though it is the result of high print temps and/or printing too slow.
Once translucent filament gets overcooked it just loves to go dull on you.
Water clear PETG seems to be the exception here.
Wonāt change much at all until you get the temps to the point where the stuff turns yellowish.
But before you get there the print is already turning brittle and ugly.
1 Like
Thanks for your additional input @user_3026326371 ! This will be helpful.
I think I read somewhere that dry filament makes a big difference too (humid filament bad as always), is that correct?
Iām curious on this topic too, would the nozzle size, layer height, and line thickness make a big difference too? I am guessing that ābigger is betterā for all of those but I have no idea.
@MalcTheOracle I had no idea translucent PLA existed! I guess that is not a Bambu Lab filament? I only saw PETG as an option when I looked, so I grabbed that - oh well.
I only recently gained transparent PETG from Bambu Lab. My tests used filaments from other suppliers.
Each different supplier uses a different mix, requiring more effort to gain the most from each.
As you likely noticed from my examples p, my experience has the PLA much more translucent.
However, it is down to the supplier and mix.
Wet filament always introduces quality problems, even before we talk about translucency.
Wet filament will boil off coming through the head, causes splutters and uneven surfaces resulting in light that refracts too much.
1 Like
Quick update: Iām have been able to make some big improvements so far, but still testing:
The luster doesnāt really come out in the picture, but it has depth to it, which is what I was going for over transparency. I want the light to play with the deeper layers and refract back out to give a sense of depth in the final product (these are just test objects).
I do still want to play with reducing the lines between the extrusions, which probably comes down to really fine-tuning flow rate some more. I have a magnifying glass ordered, so I can better tell if its over or under extruding (my old eyes canāt tell the difference even with glasses).
1 Like
Iām now āplayingā with Formfuturaās AthenaX, which is PCTG, really great for transparency and very strong! Still playing around with the settings for it, I think I need to go even higher temp in the hot end but already pretty happy with the results
Thatās where I was thinking (guessing) a larger nozzle (if thatās an option) might also help. But someone more experienced here would know better than I.
Unfortunately I need to go down to a 0.2 nozzle from the 0.4 that is in the picture so that I can get the detail (text) readable for the design. I was contemplating ironing the top surface, but felt that would introduce more refracting than fix the visible rings.
1 Like
Iāve been experimenting with traslucent PLA - with 0.8 nozzle and 0.56 layer height Iām getting really good results but got problems with seams not really closing / leaving a gap there just setting the gap to 0% does not always fix that. (IĀ“m experimenting a bit but might just end closing those gaps with hot glue (must be air tight in this case else it might not be a problemā¦)
Still doing some experiments with lower speed, does anybody think slicing mode āclose holesā might help? (4x the time)
Iāve read that thinner layers are better to control air bubbles and gaps, I have been doing 0.08 layers in the image above.
But of course it depends what you are going for. If you are doing vase walls, thicker layers are probably better to get horizontal translucency, while thinner layers are better for vertical translucency.
Hereās a good resource that got me thinking about what adjustments to make, along with @MalcTheOracle 's test model linked above: