# Printing Flat Surfaces **URL:** \ **Category:** Support & Troubleshooting\ **Created:** [October 25, 2016, 2:36am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/printing-flat-surfaces/10132 "2016-10-25T02:36:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jtgonz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.formlabs.com/jtgonz/32/7658_2.png) [@jtgonz](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/jtgonz)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2016, 2:36am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/printing-flat-surfaces/10132/1 "2016-10-25T02:36:38Z")
Has anyone had success printing parts with completely flat surfaces? Parts that can lie flush against each other with little or no clearance between them? Whenever I try this, the surfaces come out slightly warped. Here’s an example: ![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/formlabs/original/2X/c/cfd79d07803586ea32d562e352891e5ac44f2c9e.jpg) When I place these prints back to back, they don’t lie flush: ![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/formlabs/original/2X/e/e7492c6510b99733dbfc41f08c0b9a45116a7b5e.png) Some areas of the print are flat (see pic below). But the print seems to bend slightly in the middle. ![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/formlabs/original/2X/4/4378a741ad1d056a363ddbba80e98903857dd544.png) The parts were printed at 50 um, rinsed in IPA for a total of 20 minutes, and cured for an hour before supports were removed. Any tips on fixing this, or is this more or less as good as it gets? ---
**Author:** ![ChristopherBarr](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.formlabs.com/christopherbarr/32/645_2.png) [@ChristopherBarr](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/ChristopherBarr)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2016, 2:46am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/printing-flat-surfaces/10132/2 "2016-10-25T02:46:10Z")
In your orientation, the small portion of the part is closer to the build platform than the larger portion. Change the angle such that the more massive area is printed first, then the smaller portion, so the part itself is not expected to help support the stress of the larger area during peel. 20 minutes is also too long to rise the parts, and that may potentially be part of the issue. ---
**Author:** ![jtgonz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.formlabs.com/jtgonz/32/7658_2.png) [@jtgonz](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/jtgonz)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2016, 2:53am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/printing-flat-surfaces/10132/3 "2016-10-25T02:53:17Z")
Thanks, that makes sense – I’ll give it a shot. I had based my rinse time on [this](https://formlabs.com/support/finishing/basic-finishing-steps/) article. What would you recommend? 10 mins? ---
**Author:** ![ChristopherBarr](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.formlabs.com/christopherbarr/32/645_2.png) [@ChristopherBarr](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/ChristopherBarr)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2016, 3:01am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/printing-flat-surfaces/10132/4 "2016-10-25T03:01:54Z")
…or less. I like to soak for 2 minutes, agitate in the [loafinator](http://forum.formlabs.com/t/introducing-the-loafinator/3638/1) another couple of minutes, then blow it off with an air hose. Get’s the print spotless and I never have any warping at all. ---
**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:** [November 8, 2016, 3:02am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/printing-flat-surfaces/10132/5 "2016-11-08T03:02:02Z")
Closed on November 8, 2016, 3:02am UTC This topic was automatically closed 14 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.