Sometimes, in Cura, you may encounter gaps in your prints that affect the quality and appearance of your parts. I want to explain how to fill in any gaps in Cura using some simple settings and tips. I’m assuming a properly calibrated 3d printer. If you haven’t done that, do that first.

Gaps can occur in different parts of your prints, such as the top and bottom layers, the walls, or the infill. There are different reasons for these gaps, such as under-extrusion, incorrect nozzle size, low flow rate, or wrong layer height. To fix these gaps, you need to adjust some settings in Cura that affect the amount and distribution of material in your prints.

One of the most important settings to check is the line width, which determines how wide each extruded line is. The line width should match your nozzle size or be slightly larger (up to 120% of the nozzle size). If the line width is too small, there will be gaps between the lines. You can find the line width settings under the Quality category in Cura.

Another setting that affects the gaps is the flow rate, which controls how much material is extruded by the printer. The flow rate should be 100% by default, but you can increase it slightly (up to 110%) if you notice under-extrusion or gaps in your prints. However, be careful not to over-extrude, as this can cause other problems such as blobs or stringing. You can find the flow rate setting under the Material category in Cura.

A third setting that can help you fill in the gaps is the top/bottom pattern, which determines how the top and bottom layers are printed. The top/bottom pattern can be either lines, concentric, zigzag, or triangles. The lines pattern is the fastest and most common option, but it can leave gaps between the lines if they are not aligned properly. The concentric pattern can create a smoother surface, but it can also create gaps if the nozzle moves too far from the center. The zigzag pattern can fill in the gaps better than the lines or concentric patterns, but it can also create more travel moves and stringing. The triangles pattern can create a strong and uniform surface, but it can also increase the print time and material usage. You can find the top/bottom pattern setting under the Shell category in Cura.