What is 3D Printing Salmon Skin: How to Fix It

The "Salmon Skin Effect" is a common problem in 3D printing, characterized by an uneven, wavy texture on the surface of the printed part, similar to the scales of a salmon, which results in poor texture effects in 3D printing. This problem most often occurs in FDM printing and is related to the mechanical structure or printer firmware. This article will explain the causes of the salmon skin effect and how to eliminate it.

Source: https://www.printables.com/model/216991-salmon-skin-test

Common causes of the salmon skin effect

1. Extrusion system

The salmon skin effect is often associated with the stability of the extrusion system, such as stepper motor vibration, improper drive current setting, or gear wear, which can lead to uneven extrusion. These problems will form a periodic wavy texture on the printed surface.

2. Mechanical structure

For example, problems such as improper tension of the drive belt, uneven slide rails, or mechanical resonance. These factors can cause subtle jitters in the print head, which directly affect the quality of the printed surface.

3. Printing parameter settings

Printing too fast may cause the print head to move unsteadily. In addition, the mismatch between the set layer height and the printer precision will amplify the texture defects, resulting in the salmon skin effect.

4. Electrical system

Mainboard signal interference, insufficient motor driver performance, or unstable power supply may affect the printer's movement and extrusion control, resulting in ripples on the printed surface.

5. Materials and nozzles

Poor fluidity of the printed material or blocked or worn nozzles can cause fluctuations in material extrusion. This uneven extrusion easily amplifies surface defects, making the salmon skin effect more obvious.

How to solve the salmon skin effect by installing a TL Smoother?

TL Smoother is a hardware accessory for 3D printers that is designed to reduce vibration and noise caused by stepper motors, thereby improving the quality of the printed surface. It smoothes the stepper motor drive signal and reduces burst pulses when the motor is running. This can reduce the impact of stepper motor vibration, especially ripples and irregular surfaces (such as salmon skin effect) generated during printing.

Source: https://community.ultimaker.com/topic/19104-manual-how-to-install-tl-smooth-zebra-strippes-fix-umo-um2-um3/

Installation method:

Open the printer and locate the cable interface connected to the stepper motor. Insert the TL Smoother into the stepper motor cable connection, ensuring a secure connection, and use double-sided tape to fix the TL Smoother to the printer frame to prevent contact with other parts.

Ensure compatibility by verifying that your 3D printer uses a standard four-pin connection supported by the TL Smoother; if it uses a non-standard interface, consider using an adapter. After installation, fine-tune the printer’s acceleration and print speed settings to optimize the print quality and minimize vibrations.

Additional upgrade suggestions

In addition to installing the TL Smoother, you can also consider other upgrades to further improve print quality:

1. Upgrade the cooling system: If the details of the print are small, adding a cooling fan can improve the print effect and prevent the top layer from overheating and uneven surface.

2. Adjust the belt tension: Check the tension of the belt to ensure that it is not loose or too tight to avoid vibration caused by mechanical problems.

3. Check and maintain the printer components: Regularly check the stepper motor, nozzle, extruder and other components to ensure that they are in good working condition.

As a professional service provider in the field of 3D printing, compared with desktop 3D printers, JLC3DP's industrial-grade printers can minimize common surface problems such as salmon skin effect when printing with high precision. In addition, JLC3DP also provides professional technical support and tailor-made solutions for customers. If you want to achieve higher quality printing, it is recommended to try JLC3DP's online 3D printing service.