# Detail is significantly worse around the support area? **URL:** \ **Category:** Support & Troubleshooting\ **Created:** [May 8, 2015, 11:01pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/detail-is-significantly-worse-around-the-support-area/4543 "2015-05-08T23:01:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FormBeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FormBeast](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/FormBeast)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2015, 11:01pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/detail-is-significantly-worse-around-the-support-area/4543/1 "2015-05-08T23:01:18Z")
I’ve noticed with all my prints at 0.25 I get superb clean fine detail in the area furthest away from the supports. Then the closer to the supports up to the support area the details get lost and appear more blobby. Is anyone else getting this? ---
**Author:** ![MarcusKnorr](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.formlabs.com/marcusknorr/32/75_2.png) [@MarcusKnorr](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/MarcusKnorr)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2015, 6:11am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/detail-is-significantly-worse-around-the-support-area/4543/2 "2015-05-09T06:11:58Z")
yes I get this as well and the darker the resin is the more it appears. I raise the “height above” base to 10 to optimize it. It helps the resin to flow while peeling. I also add more supports in some cases manualy to prevent warping of the resin between the support points at smallest size. ---
**Author:** ![FormBeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FormBeast](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/FormBeast)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2015, 7:55pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/detail-is-significantly-worse-around-the-support-area/4543/3 "2015-05-09T19:55:04Z")
Cheers Marcus, will try also raising the supports. I wonder if clear resin works better then? Any theorys as to why it does this? ---
**Author:** ![Pedro\_Marcal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Pedro\_Marcal](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Pedro_Marcal)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2015, 4:08pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/detail-is-significantly-worse-around-the-support-area/4543/4 "2015-05-10T16:08:46Z")
@Edward\_Peretti, I am a beginner at 3D Printing, but just from my few experiences at trying to print an enclosed 1mm diameter tension specimen, I concluded to do away with all internal supports and use slow printing instead. The solidifying supports want to distort in their own way on solidification (phase-change). This distorts any weak structure that it is supporting. ---
**Author:** ![MarcusKnorr](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.formlabs.com/marcusknorr/32/75_2.png) [@MarcusKnorr](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/MarcusKnorr)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2015, 6:54pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/detail-is-significantly-worse-around-the-support-area/4543/5 "2015-05-10T18:54:35Z")
well in theory if printing darker resins the laserpower is stronger and while at higher resolutions the laser gets in closer contact with the previous printed layers it might have some effect on it. ---
**Author:** ![FormBeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FormBeast](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/FormBeast)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2015, 1:04am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/detail-is-significantly-worse-around-the-support-area/4543/6 "2015-05-15T01:04:00Z")
I think the best solution for me is to add a spacer object between my model and the supports, then cut and sand off. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/formlabs/original/3X/5/b/5bc2bdf993ff27c2e0eecab5010b25626fbb327a.png) [@system](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 1:04am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/detail-is-significantly-worse-around-the-support-area/4543/7 "2015-05-29T01:04:41Z")
This topic was automatically closed 14 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed. ---
**Author:** ![Stephen](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.formlabs.com/stephen/32/1635_2.png) [@Stephen](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Stephen)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 5:44pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/detail-is-significantly-worse-around-the-support-area/4543/8 "2015-06-05T17:44:07Z")
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**Author:** ![FormBeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FormBeast](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/FormBeast)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 10:27am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/detail-is-significantly-worse-around-the-support-area/4543/9 "2015-06-11T10:27:49Z")
Guys I’m still getting really bad loss of detail and blobbing and roughness of the surface where the supports are touching the model. It feels to me as if maybe resin is trickling from the build platform and settling on the support area and somehow curing via the UV laser when it cures the resin below it? This could be a big disadvantage with SLA printing upside down. What do you guys think? The only way I have successfully prevented this is by adding a bolster object between the model and supports, like a bowl shape that captures any trickle resin. Though this is pretty inconvenient ☹ ---
**Author:** ![FormBeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FormBeast](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/FormBeast)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2015, 3:11pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/detail-is-significantly-worse-around-the-support-area/4543/10 "2015-10-29T15:11:58Z")
Just wondering is anyone else trying to tackle this issue or are folks perfectly happy with loss of details where the supports touch the model?? I would have thought there would be more discussion. I have an idea that I will need to test. If it works I will suggest it for implementation into preform. ---
**Author:** ![JasonSpiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f14d63/32.png) [@JasonSpiller](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/JasonSpiller)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2015, 3:35pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/detail-is-significantly-worse-around-the-support-area/4543/11 "2015-10-29T15:35:19Z")
A while back someone suggested increasing the distance of the print from the support platform to a minimum of 7 or 8mm rather than the default 5mm. Also ensure a good spacing between supports where they contact your print. ---
**Author:** ![FormBeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FormBeast](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/FormBeast)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2015, 12:55pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/detail-is-significantly-worse-around-the-support-area/4543/12 "2015-10-30T12:55:30Z")
Hey Jason, yeah I remember someone saying that, though height doesn’t make a difference as I have found out, though the further from the base the better as it gets worse base level. Less supports is ideal, though some models just need many supports. I was thinking of testing adding cup like models to the supports to capture the flow of resin that runs down them, just to test my theory in previous posts. ---
**Author:** ![Kim\_Buck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/d26b3c/32.png) [@Kim\_Buck](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Kim_Buck)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 11:48am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/detail-is-significantly-worse-around-the-support-area/4543/13 "2015-11-03T11:48:17Z")
Hi Edward. I experience the same. los of detail around the support. I make jewelry so I am very perticular about the detail and the form to be ‘full’ and not sluggish around the supports. One thing I have tried is -like you- to make the supports higher. It does not work. I experience that there is a shadow of the form of the base on the object. I have made the supports thinner and thicker - no result. I have asked formlabs if this issue is solved in the form2. Jon says: “This can happen with the Form 1+ due to resin not being able to flow out of the part during the peel cycle. With the Form 2, we completely redesigned our peel mechanism to be extremely reliable for small detailed parts”. It is strange that it does not help to raise the part then?? I gues that the heating of the resin as in the Form2 will help the resin to flow easier, but he did not mention this. I am surprised that there is not more talk about this on the forum. ---
**Author:** ![KenCitron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.formlabs.com/kencitron/32/1741_2.png) [@KenCitron](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/KenCitron)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 2:23pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/detail-is-significantly-worse-around-the-support-area/4543/14 "2015-11-03T14:23:49Z")
If there is any cloudiness on the tank or laser the support side will be worse. Machines with small laser flairs are more susceptible to poor printing on support side when there is any further laser beam diffusion so really make sure the mirrors etc are spotless, This helps me. Most of my prints are with the clear2 resin and at 25µ. I also keep my orientation so the peel is at it’s minimum even when it makes far more layers. This helps quite a bit here. ---
**Author:** ![FormBeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FormBeast](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/FormBeast)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 2:45pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/detail-is-significantly-worse-around-the-support-area/4543/15 "2015-11-03T14:45:35Z")
So the Form 2 is the solution?? 🙂 I would really like to try out that new peeling mechanism. Maybe someone who owns a 1+ and a 2 model can do a test? My only solution now is to break my models into parts and put as many supports on the attachment area, then assemble after printing. It’s a pain but I get the maximum detail that way. ---
**Author:** ![KenCitron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.formlabs.com/kencitron/32/1741_2.png) [@KenCitron](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/KenCitron)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2015, 9:25pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/detail-is-significantly-worse-around-the-support-area/4543/16 "2015-11-04T21:25:08Z")
Nature of the beast no matter what machine when supports are used they will have marks on that side. I noticed the prints I do at 25µ have less cleanup on the support side vrs ones at courser settings. For parts that have high detail on all sides you may want to orient and manually set the supports where they are least critical to the parts detail.