Get Started with Creality Slicer – The Free Slicing Software for Creality 3D Printers

Whether you just unboxed your first Creality 3D printer or you’re a seasoned printing veteran, you’ll need slicing software to prepare your 3D models for printing. Creality Slicer is the official free slicing software from Creality that is specially tuned for their printers. In this beginner’s guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know to get up and running with Creality Slicer for perfect prints every time.

An Introduction to Creality Slicer

Creality Slicer is a feature-rich, open source slicing application developed by Creality for their popular line of 3D printers like the Ender 3, CR-10, and CR-6 SE. As a cura-based slicer, it benefits from the open source Cura project while being optimized for Creality’s printers.

The software is available for Windows, MacOS, and Linux, giving you flexibility no matter your setup. It’s also completely free to download and use with no license fees or subscription required.

Some key features of Creality Slicer include:

• Streamlined interface for easy operation
• Pre-configured Creality printer profiles for quality prints
• Customizable settings for dialing in your print quality
• Supports common 3D file types like STL, OBJ, 3MF, etc.
• Options for supports, brims, rafts, and more
• Slicing and gcode generation for FDM 3D printing

For those new to 3D printing, a slicer takes your 3D model files and turns them into instructions for your printer called gcode. This optimized gcode controls the real-world movements of your print head to build the model layer by layer.

Creality Slicer handles this preparation work so you can go from 3D model to printed object as smoothly as possible.

Downloading and Installing Creality Slicer

Getting Creality Slicer set up on your computer is quick and easy. Here are the steps:

1. Go to Creality’s official website at www.creality.com and navigate to the Software page.
2. Under Slicing Software, select the download link for your operating system (Windows, MacOS, or Linux).
3. Once downloaded, run the installer package. This will guide you through the installation process.
4. Follow the on-screen prompts to install Creality Slicer on your system. The default options are fine for most users.
5. After installation, Creality Slicer will show up in your desktop start menu and is ready to use!

The entire process only takes a few minutes. Creality Slicer requires about ~100MB of disk space and 2GB of RAM so it has a small footprint.

If you run into any issues during installation, reference Creality’s documentation for troubleshooting tips.

Adding Your Creality 3D Printer

With the software installed, the next step is connecting your Creality printer. Here’s how:

1. Make sure your 3D printer is powered on and connected to your computer via USB.
2. Open Creality Slicer. In the top right, click “Add Printer”.
3. Select your Creality printer’s model from the dropdown menu like “Ender 3”, “Ender 5 Pro”, etc.
4. The correct profile will automatically be added with optimized settings.
5. Under the “Printer” tab on the left, make sure your printer is selected and shows a green connected indicator.
6. You can rename the printer by double clicking the profile name if desired.

That’s all there is to it! Creality Slicer will automatically pull the optimal profile for your printer model so you get great results without extra tweaking needed.

Slicing Your First Model

Once your printer profile is loaded, it’s time to slice your first model and get printing. Here’s a quick step-by-step guide:

1. Click “Add Model” and select your STL or OBJ file. The model will load on the build plate.
2. Use the Move and Rotate tools to position your model. Lay it flat on the plate for starters.
3. Go to the Basic Settings panel on the right. Make sure Filament type, Nozzle size, and basic resolution are set correctly.
4. Click the Slice button in the bottom right to generate the printer gcode.
5. Finally click Save Toolpath and select where to save the gcode file.
6. Transfer the gcode file to your printer’s SD card or use Creality Slicer’s built-in USB transfer.
7. On your printer, select the file to start printing!

To begin, we recommend printing a pre-supported model like the 3DBenchy tugboat. This will allow you to dial in things like bed leveling and get your initial prints looking great.

Getting to Know Creality Slicer

Now that you have the basics down, let’s take a deeper look into using Creality Slicer and all its features.

The software has an intuitive layout with the main sections you need:

• Printer Panel: Contains your printer profiles and status.
• Build Plate: Where you arrange your models to print.
• Model Tools: Tools for manipulating models on the plate. Rotate, scale, etc.
• Basic Settings: Common print settings like resolution, speeds, filament, etc.
• Advanced Settings: More detailed options for cooling, supports, infill, etc.

Take time to hover over each option to view tooltips explaining what that setting does. For your first prints, focus on the basics before diving into the advanced settings.

Using Supports in Creality Slicer

One very useful feature in Creality Slicer is its support generation. Supports are scaffolding structures printed under overhangs and bridges in your model to provide stability during printing.

Enabling supports is easy:

1. Click “Generate Support” or toggle on the Supports option in Basic Settings.
2. Configure the Overhang Angle threshold where supports will be generated. 50-70° is a good starting point.
3. Choose your Support Pattern – Lines or Grids. Grids provide a dense matrix of support.
4. Set the Support Density between 10-30% as needed for your particular model.
5. Click Slice to apply supports throughout your model.

Carefully removing supports after printing can take some work, so only use supports where truly needed. But they allow you to print models not possible otherwise!

Dialing In Your Print Quality

The real advantage of Creality Slicer is the deep control over print settings it provides. As you print more, you’ll learn how adjustments to temperature, speed, retraction, and other settings impact your results.

Here are some key print quality settings to focus on:

• Nozzle Temp: Higher temps allow material to flow easier but can reduce detail. Start around 200°C.
• Bed Temp: Set warmer temps (60-70°C) to prevent warping and improve first layer adhesion.
• Print Speed: Faster print speeds sacrifice quality for reduced printing time. 40-60mm/s is a good balance.
• Retraction: Minimizes stringing by retracting filament during travel moves. 4-6mm at 25-50mm/s is common.
• Cooling: Enable fan cooling at layer 2+ and set fan speeds around 50-100% for PLA filament.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with settings across multiple prints. Taking notes on what works will help you dial in the best quality over time.

Advanced Features of Creality Slicer

Once you have a good handle on the basics, Creality Slicer has plenty of advanced options to explore:

• Multiple Profiles: Create and save separate profiles for each printer or filament type.
• Custom Supports: Fine tune support placement, patterns, and settings.
• Spiralize Outer Contour: Smoothes sloped surfaces by printing one continuous outer line.
• Tree Supports: Generate branch-like supports that are easier to remove.
• Ironing: Smooth out top layers for a glossy finish.
• Coasting: Retract filament during travel moves to reduce stringing.
• Brim: Adds a wide single layer “brim” around the base to grip the plate.
• Raft: A dense base layer that builds under the model for adhesion.

Don’t feel compelled to master every setting right away. Focus on the features that will benefit your specific prints. The Creality Slicer documentation goes into further detail on all available options.

Portability with Creality Cloud

A handy companion to Creality Slicer is Creality Cloud. This allows you to slice models and control your printer remotely from any internet connected device.

Simply install the Creality Cloud agent on your PC along with the mobile app on your smartphone or tablet. You can then:

• Access your printers from anywhere
• Slice and start prints remotely
• Monitor print progress in real-time
• Receive alerts if prints fail or finish

This brings new levels of flexibility and control to your printing workflow.

Get Your Best Prints with Creality Slicer

Learning to slice with Creality Slicer is the key to unlocking the full potential of your Creality 3D printer. With optimized profiles and advanced controls, you can achieve high-quality prints dialed into your specific printer model.

Don’t be intimidated by all the settings – start with the preloaded profiles and basics, then further tweak settings to improve your print quality over time. Take advantage of handy features like customizable supports to expand what you can print.

With Creality Slicer unleashing the capabilities of your Creality printer, you’ll be ready to turn your creative 3D models into physical objects easier than ever.