Smooth Surfaces in 3D Printing | Seams Ironing

Surface quality is the first impression of a 3D part. In Bambu Studio you can gain “professional face” with two settings that make the difference: place the seam where it does not bother and activate a fine ironing on the top layers. Below is a practical guide, designed to apply and compare results in minutes.

Quick Response:
To improve the finish in Bambu Studio, place the seam in a hidden area (back edges or non-visible faces) using “Aligned” or “Random” depending on the geometry; then it activates ironing on the top layers with low speed and flow 8–12% (PLA) / 5–8% (PETG). This reduces visible lines and achieves smooth surfaces.

Why surface quality is key in 3D printing

• Visual impact: less visible lines = “product” appearance.
• Better post-processing: More uniform surfaces accept better sanding, priming, and painting.
• Efficiency: Small changes to the laminator avoid hours of manual touch-ups.
• Bambu Studio integrates specific controls for sewing and ironing that avoid typical artifacts (peaks, grooves, “orange peel”).

Hide seams in Bambu Studio

What are seams and why do they appear?

The seam is the point where the extruder starts/ends the perimeter of each layer. As it accumulates layer by layer, it forms a “column” of micro-jumps that can be seen as a line, scar or step. Its visibility depends on:

• Position (always in the same place or scattered).
• Retraction and pressure (under/over-extrusion on resume).
• Geometry (edges, sharp curves, inner corners).

Settings to hide seams in Bambu Studio

Search for Seam / Seam position (names may vary depending on version/language) and use these strategies:

1. Strategy by aesthetic intention
   • Aligned: Concentrates the seam on a single line. Useful for hiding it on a back edge or an area that is not visible.
   • “Nearest”: minimizes movements; Good for complex geometries where you want manual control of orientation.
   • “Random”: scatters micro-marks; It lowers the visible “column” but can create mottled texture on smooth surfaces.
2. Place the seam in an irrelevant area
   • Twist the piece so that the seam falls into the back or under a chamfer.
   • On “seen” and “hidden” face pieces, align the seam with the “hidden” side.
3. Combine it with geometry
   • Take advantage of sharp edges: the transition hides better on an edge than on a plane.
   • Avoid very small radii (overpressure highlights the jump).
4. Pressure retention and travel
   • Review retract/deretract parameters and avoid crossing perimeters unnecessarily.
   • Enabling “avoid crossing perimeters” options reduces travel marks on the top face

Quick checklist for seams

• Define the visible and hidden faces before laminating.
• Use Aligned and rotate the model until you “hide” the line.
• If the face is 360° visible, try Random to blur.
• Adjusts retract and avoids perimeter crossings.

Ironing in 3D printing

What is the ironing function

Ironing passes the nozzle over the top layers with very low flow and tight strokes to fill micro-gaps between lines and “smooth” the texture. It’s the equivalent of “passing the iron” over the last layer.

Result: smoother top layers, better light reflection and less need for fine sanding.

(In other laminators it is called “Ironing”; here we focus on Bambu Studio.)

Ironing settings in Bambu Studio

Put ironing on “top surface” and start with conservative values. Adjust by material:

Key parameters and starting ranges

1. Select top surfaces.

• Ironing speed: We recommend testing 80 mm/s, although slower favors homogeneity.
• Ironing flow:
  • PLA: 8–12% (enough to “refill” without overloading).
  • PETG: 5–8% (stickier material; excess = carryover/shine).
• Spacing/overlap between passes: 0.1–0.2 mm (very dense stroke).
• Ironing pattern: Rectilinear in most cases. Concentric test in ciruclarar geometries.
• Affected layers: only top surfaces (ironing infill or inner layers does not contribute and increases time).
• Temperature: maintain the material’s own temperature; if you see drag, lower 5°C or reduce the flow.

Best practices

• Print monotonic top infill before ironing for more coherent lines.
• Avoid zero cooling: 20–40% ventilation usually stabilizes the soft filament during ironing.
• Don’t use ironing on intentional textures (knurling, patterns), only where you want even shine.

Additional Tips for a Professional Finish

• Sewing + ironing, together: hide the line on one edge and iron the top layers. The combination makes the vertical jump “disappear” and smooths the plateau.
• Filament quality: Consistent spools in diameter and color give top layers with uniform gloss and no banding. Visit our online https://figutech.com/filamento-3d/ filament store to experience the best 3D printing finishes.
• Nozzle and layer height: Clean nozzles and thin layer height (0.12–0.20 mm) leave less valley to fill.
• Stable environment: air currents and vibrations print “waves”. Secures firm base and door/enclosure if you use it.
• External perimeters first or last: depending on the piece, external perimeter at the end can better hide the finish; Try both for your geometry.
• Short A/B tests: generates 20–30 min “pills” to compare three variables: sewing position, speed and ironing flow.

Common Problems and How to Solve Them

1) The seam keeps looking too much

• Rotate the model 10–20° and laminate again with Aligned.
• Increase retract distance/speed slightly to avoid “zits”.
• Reduces the speed of the external perimeter for a more stable start.

2) Marks, shine or drag after ironing

• Low ironing flow 2–3 points.
• Reduces hotend temperature by 5°C.
• Increases speed to 20–25 mm/s if the material sticks.
• Check that the nozzle is clean; debris drags material.

3) Top layer with grooves still visible

• Increase the number of top layers (e.g., from 4 to 6 in 0.2 mm).
• Tighter spacing (0.1 mm) and cross vs. parallel pattern .
• Check overall extrusion (flow): A fine flow calibration facilitates perfect ironing.

Ready to make the leap in visual quality? Try these settings today and pair them with a top-quality filament for repeatable results:

Sube el nivel de tus superficies

Prueba costuras ocultas + planchado con un filamento estable para repetir resultados.

PLA Figutech ONE

Acabado liso, fácil de imprimir

Base ideal para planchado: capas superiores homogéneas y color consistente para un brillo regular.

Ver PLA

PETG EVO-X Ultra Speed

Resistencia + superficie cuidada

Para piezas funcionales: excelente adhesión entre capas y compatibilidad con planchado moderado.

Ver PETG EVO-X