Advice on HiRes printer choices

[AutoWiz]

How do I learn the specifics of "Designing for 3d Print"? I use FreeCAD and am reasonably able with that, but it sounds like there is more to it...are there documents/videos that will help with my design style?

This wisdom is going to largely come from hands on experience. You might find some stuff to read and learn a little on the subject but you will really learn when you print an object 12 times in as many different ways for yourself. Some filaments have different qualities and so are better for different functions. PLA for example is a great looking filament. It makes great shelf trinkets. But PLA loves to separate at the layers. So you can always take anything printed from PLA and throw it to the floor and it WILL break at the layers. This is an important piece of information we can take away a few things from. First We should plan to print our object so the way it gets loaded is not going to stress or pull apart the layers. And also this very much tells us that maybe PLA is better for things like lithophanes or busts or figurines. But for actual functional parts we should look to better filaments that will not separate at the layers. PETG for example has layer separation problems opposite to that of PLA. With PETG if we print on bare glass we will break the glass trying to separate the print from it. PETG will break right through the layers each and every time. And so we will find a lot of functional printed parts we can buy on this here internet are printed from PETG. I am years into forcing my 3d printers to reinvent themselves regularly. The best thing you can do is just jump into the fray and try a bunch of different things paying attention to your results along the way. There is also a huge thing with infill density and perimeters or wall thickness and designing your part with these things in mind along with the idea of where your part needs its strength. You just have to pick a starting point and make sure you share your successes with the group.

[JimB]

Anyone who cites experience as the greatest teacher gets my vote! I have gained some valuable insight from your post, AutoWiz, and for that I thank you! I'm ready to dig into this subject, and it looks like I have found the forum where the knowledge lies (been to others and dind't get replys, let alone answers )