A common starting point is about half the nozzle diameter, which the slicer’s default profiles already use. Thinner layers show smoother curves and take longer; thicker layers print faster and stronger in some directions. The minimum layer height on a listing is a limit, not a quality promise.
Layer height is the setting that trades time for surface finish most directly.
A sensible starting point
Slicer profiles usually start at roughly half the nozzle diameter. With a common 0.4 mm nozzle that gives layers around 0.2 mm, which balances speed and appearance for most parts.
What thinner layers change
Smoother curves and slopes, because each step is smaller. Longer print times, roughly in proportion. More sensitivity to small mechanical issues, which become visible when the step is fine.
What thicker layers change
Faster prints and sometimes stronger layer bonding, useful for functional parts. Visible steps on curved surfaces. A thicker layer needs a nozzle that can deposit it; very thick layers usually mean a larger nozzle.
What the listing figure means
A minimum layer height published by a printer maker says how fine a step the machine can take. It is a specification of the machine, not a measure of the accuracy of a part, and many parts look best well above that minimum.
Choosing per part
Decorative models with curves suit thinner layers. Brackets, enclosures and jigs suit thicker ones. Variable layer height, where the slicer offers it, gives both in the same print.
If this page and the manufacturer’s manual disagree, follow the manual. Every laser power, speed, build volume, resolution, temperature and safety rating on this page is taken from the maker’s own documentation, with its unit as published and its source named — none of it is measured here. A figure is written the way the maker states it and is not converted into another convention, because the converted value would be a different number. And for any resolution figure: a screen’s pixel pitch, a minimum layer height or a step size is a specification of the machine, not a tolerance measured on a part. The accuracy of a finished object depends on the material, the calibration and the design. This page reports the maker’s figure as a specification and never as a guaranteed precision.
Questions makers ask before buying
Do thinner layers make a part more accurate?
They make curved and sloped surfaces smoother, but dimensional accuracy depends on calibration, material shrinkage and the printer’s mechanics more than on layer height.
Can layer height change within one print?
Many slicers support variable layer height, using thin layers on curves and thick ones on straight walls to save time.
Last reviewed 15 September 2026