# How to print this model? **URL:** \ **Category:** Form 2\ **Created:** [March 26, 2019, 9:59am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/how-to-print-this-model/22770 "2019-03-26T09:59:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AZil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@AZil](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/AZil)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2019, 9:59am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/how-to-print-this-model/22770/1 "2019-03-26T09:59:02Z")
Hi I bought the FORM 2 yesterday and only printed a 3D Bency with it so far. It looks very nice compare to the results of my ultimaker! Nice details! I was a bit disappointed by the fact that the supports left so many scratches, holes and bumps. (I’ll retry with a 0.4mm touchpoint later. I guess that helps?). The 3DBenchy is already broken too. The kids used it to play and it fall only ONE and it already broke the top. I guess I need Though or Durable resin for toys instead of standard black resin v4? 😉 Now what I wanted to ask: I want to try and print the rose (not the stem) from this model : [https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:84075/files](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:84075/files) If I place it in PreForm and use the auto orientation and auto support generation too, it still shows red for “printability” telling me I need to use the support tool to add supports. But that’s what I did already? Am I doing something wrong? Van anyone with experience here tell me how to print this correctly (or send me a correct .form file so I can see/learn from it). All help will be much appreciated! ---
**Author:** ![JasonSpiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f14d63/32.png) [@JasonSpiller](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/JasonSpiller)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2019, 10:22am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/how-to-print-this-model/22770/2 "2019-03-26T10:22:12Z")
You need a good pair of snips or a hot cutter to remove the supports without leaving little divots in the print. Preform will almost always say your model needs more support when you are trying to print with minimal supports. Use thicker points at the start of your print, and you should be able to use the finer points on the more delicate areas of the print. ---
**Author:** ![AZil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@AZil](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/AZil)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2019, 11:01am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/how-to-print-this-model/22770/3 "2019-03-26T11:01:24Z")
What kind of hot cutter are you suggesting? I’m not sure what to look for. And any idea about how to print the rose linked in the first post? It oriented the flat bottom of the rose to the bottom while i read it is a bad idea to do such a thing? Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![Ike](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.formlabs.com/ike/32/13680_2.png) [@Ike](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Ike)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2019, 2:42pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/how-to-print-this-model/22770/4 "2019-03-26T14:42:53Z")
To me, that rose looks like it could be printed directly on it’s base on the build platform, without support material, but the base on it is thin enough that it might be difficult to remove from the build platform without shattering. If you can, I’d tentatively recommend using something like Meshmixer to add a 5mm-or-so-thick cylinder to the bottom of the base of the part. ---
**Author:** ![Ike](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.formlabs.com/ike/32/13680_2.png) [@Ike](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Ike)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2019, 2:43pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/how-to-print-this-model/22770/5 "2019-03-26T14:43:49Z")
And yes, it’s not generally recommended to print models without support, directly on the build platform, but there are still a lot of times when it can work well, and this rose part is likely one of them. ---
**Author:** ![JasonSpiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f14d63/32.png) [@JasonSpiller](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/JasonSpiller)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2019, 4:57pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/how-to-print-this-model/22770/6 "2019-03-26T16:57:32Z")
This is the sort of hot cutter I was thinking of. It’s basically a glorified soldering iron. [https://www.antex.co.uk/products/retouch3d/retouch3d-heated-tool/](https://www.antex.co.uk/products/retouch3d/retouch3d-heated-tool/) ---
**Author:** ![AZil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@AZil](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/AZil)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2019, 8:56am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/how-to-print-this-model/22770/7 "2019-03-27T08:56:25Z")
I don’t want to add a 5mm thick cylinder to the bottom because I want to keep the original model/shape. Adding such a cylinder is changing the model. Shouldn’t I be able to print this with supports at the bottom only? So, it creates the raft and lifts the model about 5mm, then the bottom and no internal supports? ---
**Author:** ![Ike](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.formlabs.com/ike/32/13680_2.png) [@Ike](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Ike)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2019, 3:02pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/how-to-print-this-model/22770/8 "2019-03-27T15:02:58Z")
Yes, if you keep the orientation of the part as it is by default, then generate default supports with no internal supports, that should work. You could probably even delete all the supports that aren’t on the base cylinder and have the print come out well. However, a flat surface supported parallel to the build platform like that base will come out rough/wavy on the underside, not perfectly flat, after you remove the supports, unless you’re willing to sand it flat again. Printing the part at an angle, on supports, with no internal supports might also work reasonably well, but the tradeoff of having a flatter base probably isn’t worth having supports on some of the petals. ---
**Author:** ![Ike](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.formlabs.com/ike/32/13680_2.png) [@Ike](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Ike)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2019, 5:54pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/how-to-print-this-model/22770/9 "2019-03-29T17:54:29Z")
![IMG_9342](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/formlabs/original/2X/d/d3cceffa8b5a537dc6287bbda6668593697e8f30.jpg) I was running another print in Elastic so I threw that unmodified rose model from Thingiverse in as well. It printed relatively well in Elastic with no supports, but the thin base would have made it more difficult to remove from the build platform if I’d in any other resin. The print does have some uneven layer lines about 50% of the way up, which I think are due to effects sort of like cupping or pressure blowouts, where the the growing part is not quite staying at the proper position on the window at the start of some of those layers. ---
**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:** [April 5, 2019, 5:54pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/how-to-print-this-model/22770/10 "2019-04-05T17:54:43Z")
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