3D Printing
News Videos Newsletter Contact us
Home / Tips and Tricks / How to Choose an Infill for Your 3D Prints
qidi

How to Choose an Infill for Your 3D Prints

September 16, 2015

With your particular slicing software I’m sure you have seen several options within the software itself relating to the infill. Furthermore I’m sure you have noticed how your printer prints the interior of an object and may have thought or wondered about that internal structure or “infill”.  So in this article we are going to explore into that a bit. There is a variety of different infills you’ll see out there but I’m only going to go over 4 types; rectangular, triangular, wiggle and hexagonal or the honey comb.

infill

Rectangular:

Rectangular being the most common and general purpose infill but really offers no real benefit over some of the others. Its simple and often a default in printing software. Most people are using this still and haven’t given much thought into anything else it seems.

Wiggle:

Almost useless unless you want a part that can twist and have a little bit flexibility to it. offers the least amount of rigidity.

Triangular:

Very useful shape, offers great strength and high lateral loads. I like this infill when I need good wall strength or longer slender structures. Think of bridges and roof trusses.

Hexagon aka the honey comb

Best infill for strength vs material used. This shape is the most efficient infill and fastest to print, the goto infill for most things. It will save you material, time, energy and also offer high strength. This is why the honey bees home is formed of hexagons. Wax is very costly to make and economically bee’s just want to make tubes with as little wax as possible to house larva, honey and what-not. Nature takes advantage of this all over the place, it’s both efficient, elegant and mathematically beautiful. This naturally occurring phenomenon is really just circles pressed together to form a tessellation. Honey bee’s are not aware of what they are building and are really only trying to form tubes that their bodies can fit into. As they build more and more of these tubes in a closed space they press together and form hexagons. Its the only outcome or shape that could occur from this which is why it is all over the place in nature. Try it out, get some soapy water and a straw, blow some bubbles. Bubbles are obviously spheres but try and make a good sized bubble then try to encircle that bubble with 6 equal sized bubbles, watch what happens as you do this.

Now why am I telling you all this and what do bees have to do with 3D Printing anyway? Much of 3D printing is really structure and design and I feel that having some knowledge in why nature does what it does will add some forethought to your creations. Doesn’t matter if your an artist an engineer or both, nature will always have more to teach us and we should pay attention to its lessons. The Hexagon infill will likely suit the majority of your needs being strong and the least material used saving you time and money. It really should be the new default and standard.

How 3D Printing Enhances the VR and AR Gaming Experience
Related Story
3D Printers for Beginners
Share:
WhatsApp Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Buffer Reddit E-mail
About the author | Steve Henshaw
Steve is the founder of SolidXYZ 3D printing based in Canada. He has a past in oil and gas operations, dental, pharma, military and more recently an entrepreneur in the 3D printing space. Steve is very passionate about science with particular interests in the cosmos, Ai, robotics and cybernetics.
Join our newsletter

Our newsletter is free & you can unsubscribe any time.

Latest posts

Singapore Startup Creates Limited Edition 3D-Printed Collectibles from Recycled Plastic Bottles

Singapore-based startup Unigons has launched a limited collection of 3D-printed Merlion figurines made from recycled plastic bottles. The company produced 60 pieces of... read more »

News
Singapore Startup Creates Limited Edition 3D-Printed Collectibles from Recycled Plastic Bottles

Designer Uses Robotic 3D Printing to Create Dual-Purpose Dog Furniture

Designer Liam de la Bedoyere has developed the Dog Hut Side Table, a piece of furniture that combines a resting space for dogs... read more »

News
Designer Uses Robotic 3D Printing to Create Dual-Purpose Dog Furniture

Scientists 3D Print Solar-Powered Sponge for Seawater Desalination

Researchers have developed a 3D-printed aerogel material that uses sunlight to convert seawater into drinking water. The sponge-like structure contains microscopic vertical channels... read more »

News

Revopoint Launches Major Prime Event 2025 Sale with Up to 40% Off 3D Scanners and Accessories

Revopoint is kicking off its Prime Event 2025 with a series of major discounts on its range of professional 3D scanners and accessories.... read more »

News

Turkish Companies Test 3D Printed Component for Armored Vehicles

MetalWorm and Nurol Makina, both based in Ankara, Turkey, have completed testing of an armored vehicle component manufactured using Directed Energy Deposition (DED)... read more »

3D Printing Metal
Turkish Companies Test 3D Printed Component for Armored Vehicles

McGill Spinout Uses 3D Bioprinting to Create Tumors for Smarter Cancer Treatments

TissueTinker, a McGill University spinout company, has developed 3D bioprinting technology to create miniaturized tumor models for cancer drug testing. The company recently... read more »

Medical
McGill Spinout Uses 3D Bioprinting to Create Tumors for Smarter Cancer Treatments

University of Twente Awarded €13.6M for Research in Circular 3D Printing and Transparent AI

The University of Twente has received €13.6 million in funding from the 2024 NWA ORC program to lead two research projects focused on... read more »

News
University of Twente Awarded €13.6M for Research in Circular 3D Printing and Transparent AI

China’s 3D Printed Micro Turbojet Engine Completes Maiden Flight

The Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC) has successfully completed the first flight test of its 3D-printed micro turbojet engine in Inner Mongolia... read more »

Aerospace
China's 3D Printed Micro Turbojet Engine Completes Maiden Flight

Laser-Assisted Cold Spray Technology Enhances Material Deposition Process

Researchers at the University of Cambridge's Center for Industrial Photonics have developed a new additive manufacturing technique called laser-assisted cold spray (LACS). The... read more »

3D Printing Metal
Laser-Assisted Cold Spray Technology Enhances Material Deposition Process

Social

  • Facebook Facebook 3D Printing
  • Linkedin Linkedin 3D Printing
Join our newsletter

Our newsletter is free & you can unsubscribe any time.

Featured Industries

  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Construction
  • Dental
  • Environmental
  • Electronics
  • Fashion
  • Medical
  • Military
  • QIDI Plus4

    • - Print size: 305 x 305 x 280 mm
    • - print temperature of 370°C
    More details »
    $799.00 QIDI Store
    Buy Now
  • Snapmaker Artisan Premium 3-in-1

    • - Print size: 400 x 400 x 400 mm
    • - comes with enclosure
    More details »
    $2,999.00 Snapmaker
    Buy Now
  • QIDI Tech Q1 Pro

    • - Print size: 245 x 245 x 245 mm
    • - 600mm/s max speed
    More details »
    $449.00 QIDI Store
    Buy Now
  • QIDI Tech X-Max 3

    • - Print size: 325 x 325 x 315 mm
    • - fully enclosed
    More details »
    $799.00 QIDI Store
    Buy Now

Company Information

  • What is 3D Printing?
  • Contact us
  • Join our mailing list
  • Advertise with us
  • Media Kit
  • Nederland 3D Printing

Blog

  • Latest News
  • Use Cases
  • Reviews
  • 3D Printers
  • 3D Printing Metal

Featured Reviews

  • Anycubic Photon Mono M5s
  • Creality Ender 5 S1
  • The Mole 3D Scanner
  • Flashforge Creator 3 Pro

Featured Industries

  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Construction
  • Dental
  • Environmental
  • Electronics
  • Medical
  • Military
  • Fashion
  • Art
2025 — Strikwerda en Dehue
  • Home
  • Join our mailing list
  • Contact us
Blog
  • Latest News
  • Use Cases
  • Reviews
  • 3D Printers
  • 3D Printing Metal
Featured Industries
  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Construction
  • Dental
  • Environmental
  • Electronics
  • Medical
  • Military
  • Fashion
  • Art
Company Information
  • What is 3D Printing?
  • Contact us
  • Join our mailing list
  • Advertise with us
  • Media Kit
  • Nederland 3D Printing