Wall Thickness and Shell Thickness Design Rules for 3D Printing

In 3D printing, wall thickness yields the best results when it is an exact multiple of the nozzle diameter: with a 0.4 mm nozzle, walls of 0.8 / 1.2 / 1.6 mm are printed with a complete number of perimeter passes, resulting in gap-free, solid walls.

Minimum values: 0.8 mm is sufficient for decorative parts, 1.2–1.6 mm is recommended for functional parts, and 2 mm or more is safe for load-bearing areas. Thin walls below 0.8 mm are both fragile and may not be printed at all by the slicer.

Avoid unnecessarily thick walls as well: they increase material consumption and print time. When strength is required, adding ribs and corner supports is usually more efficient than simply increasing wall thickness.