Plate geometry
Should a 3D-print layout use 0 mm edge clearance?
Yes. A model may use 0 mm clearance to the true printable boundary while retaining the selected gap between separate parts. Printer keep-outs remain blocked.
The three clearances are different
- Part-to-part spacing is measured between model boundaries.
- Plate-edge clearance is measured inward from the true printable boundary.
- Keep-outs are blocked machine or process regions and remain blocked even at 0 mm edge clearance.
What 0 mm means
A 0 mm setting allows the raw model footprint to touch the modeled printable boundary. It does not allow the model into a cutter, purge, calibration, or other exclusion zone.
Before printing: increase the edge setting or account for the full process envelope when a brim, raft, support base, dimensional uncertainty, or slicer-generated structure extends beyond the STL.
Recommended workflow
- Choose part-to-part spacing for the material and process.
- Leave edge clearance at 0 mm only when you truly intend to use the whole modeled boundary.
- Keep the correct printer exclusions enabled.
- Open the final arrangement in your slicer and verify every generated feature.