Wall Thickness Guidelines by Material and Technology

Wall thickness is one of the most critical design factors in 3D printing. Too thin and the part will fail during printing or break during handling. Too thick and you waste material and increase cost.

1. Recommended Minimum Wall Thickness

FDM

• PLA: 0.8mm

• PETG: 0.8mm

• ASA: 0.8mm

SLA

• Standard Resin: 0.8mm

• Tough 2000 Resin: 0.8mm

• Flexible Resin: 1.0mm

• All other resins: 0.8mm

Industrial SLA

• Draft Resin: 0.8mm

MJF

• Nylon PA 12: 0.8mm

FGF

• All materials: 3.0mm minimum (larger nozzle requires thicker walls)

2. When to Go Thicker

• Structural parts bearing load: 2–4mm+

• Large flat panels: 3mm+ to prevent warping

• Parts that will be sanded: Add 0.5mm for material removal

• Outdoor parts: Extra thickness compensates for UV degradation

• FGF parts: 3mm is the minimum, 5mm+ recommended for structural applications

• Parts with snap fits or hinges: Follow specific design guidelines for those features

3. When You Can Go Thinner

• Small, non-structural features (tabs, labels) — 0.8mm minimum still applies

• Decorative elements not under load

4. Common Mistakes

• Inconsistent wall thickness — Sudden changes cause internal stress and warping. Transition gradually.

• Zero-thickness walls — Overlapping surfaces in CAD that look solid but have no actual thickness. Run a wall thickness analysis in your CAD software.

• Thin walls on large parts — What works on a 2-inch part may warp on a 12-inch part.

5. Pro Tip

Most CAD software has a wall thickness analysis tool. Run it before exporting your STL. In Fusion 360, use Inspect > Section Analysis. In SolidWorks, use Evaluate > Thickness Analysis.

Not sure if your walls are thick enough? Upload your file at makelab.com/quote and our team will flag any issues during file review.