<p><strong>1 layer, of whatever thickness your device can print.</strong></p>
<p>I did something like this to print letters for a flat sign.  The letters were 1mm thick and didn't bend, but I'd accidentally printed quite a lot of brim lines which were a single layer thick, and they'd merged into each other.</p>
<p>The brim worked superbly as a &quot;net&quot; to hold the letters in place, so in theory you could print as little as one layer thick.</p>
<ul>
<li>Nozzle height will have to be exactly right to merge the lines together.  There are no lines crossing-over on the next layer to help bond them all together.</li>
<li>Let the print bed cool to ambient before removing it from the bed, to help keep the lines connected.  Could take an hour or so.</li>
<li>Use a wide flat scraper to pull job off bed - you might want to design in a &quot;tab&quot; that can be damaged while getting the tool started, and trimmed of later.</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-18T23:41:40.473Z
2022-04-18T23:41:40.473Z
Criggie
<p>With PLA you can just heat it to curve around the object. I've done this with up to 2mm. Real easy with 1mm.</p>
<p>I haven't tried thicker but assume it would work ok.</p>
<p>You'd have to glue it though to make it stick. My attempts were just to shape the prints, I didn't want them sticking so I shaped them around a glass bottle.</p>
<p>If you want it flexible in it's own right, then I suggest 2 * 0.2mm layers. I have a large 2 layer print in front of me that bends easily.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/xFUUn.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/xFUUn.jpg" alt="2 layers" /></a></p>
<p>This can be rolled up into a tube, but as soon as you let go it will return to flat.</p>
<p>1 layer is even more flexible but tears along the lines with a bit of effort. So if you want it really flexible I suggest you print 1 layer at slightly lower than normal nozzle height to really get the lines melded together. Or a bit hotter than normal.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-18T11:57:43.000Z
+1 for the heat reference. You'd be able to wrap something approaching 2-3 mm with enough heat. The thicker parts may experience some distortion. Leave a PLA part in a hot summer car and watch how much flexibility results!
fred_dot_u
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-18T12:08:21.540Z
@fred_dot_u Yeah, I've bent PLA around quite a bit for various reasons, usually to avoid layer line weakness or fasten things together. You can even make quite strong PLA rivets.
Kilisi
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-18T17:06:31.000Z
2x 0.2 mm layers will flex very nicely, but will crease and crack if you bend them sharper than a certain limit.
R.. GitHub STOP HELPING ICE
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-18T18:46:07.283Z
@R..GitHubSTOPHELPINGICE yes, they'll take quite a bit of abuse though, well within the parameters of the question. I use it often enough that I have a sheet lying around so I can cut pieces off it when I need to.
Kilisi
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-18T10:54:05.267Z
2022-04-18T11:21:24.783Z
2022-04-18T11:21:24.783Z
Kilisi
<p>I want to print out a flat object without any support structure straight onto the build plate of my ender 5. It's going to be PLA and I need it to be thin enough to still be flexible.</p>
<p>I don't have a picture available, but imagine that I wanted to print out the Coke Cola and then wrap it around a bland soda can, so that the logo is raised up slightly?</p>
<p>Alternatively, what is the best layer height to use, and how many layers should I use?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-18T17:08:30.333Z
This isn't an answer because you specified you want PLA, but TPU works really great for this at a thickness of around 1-2 mm and it's indestructible. You don't have to worry about bending it too sharply and creasing it, or about it being brittle from being so thin.
R.. GitHub STOP HELPING ICE
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-18T17:17:20.257Z
I'm _really_ new to 3D printing, so I'll ask a naive question: Why not just print it to the desired curve in the first place? Or, is flexibility the purpose, and the Coke can example was simply a way of saying it needed to be flexible?
FreeMan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-18T18:19:25.547Z
@FreeMan printing flat negates the need for supports and is stronger and faster with zero chance of failure regardless of complexity. So you could print a 5cm high logo on it's edge with a curve, but that is 250 layers and if it was thin would be a problematic and brittle print. Or you could print it flat faster, stronger and cheaper.
Kilisi
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-18T18:34:02.187Z
@Kilisi thanks. As I said, possibly a naive question. That mostly makes sense.
FreeMan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-18T18:36:35.510Z
@FreeMan You're welcome, we all have to start somewhere
Kilisi
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-18T20:25:53.057Z
For text such as the Coca Cola label consider a negative image, i.e. a thin, flat, rectangular piece with letter shaped holes.
allardjd
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-20T09:35:36.587Z
This question makes little sense, each material is different. It takes very little time to print test samples and try. Do that.
FarO
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-22T05:49:39.087Z
@FarO the OP specified PLA
Kilisi
<layer-height>
How thin should I print a logo so that it is flexible enough to wrap around a curved object?
Aaargh Zombies
# How thin should I print a logo so that it is flexible enough to wrap around a curved object?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-04-18)

I want to print out a flat object without any support structure straight onto the build plate of my ender 5. It's going to be PLA and I need it to be thin enough to still be flexible.

I don't have a picture available, but imagine that I wanted to print out the Coke Cola and then wrap it around a bland soda can, so that the logo is raised up slightly?

Alternatively, what is the best layer height to use, and how many layers should I use?

**Tags:** layer-height

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: This isn't an answer because you specified you want PLA, but TPU works really great for this at a thickness of around 1-2 mm and it's indestructible. You don't have to worry about bending it too sharply and creasing it, or about it being brittle from being so thin.  
> **username_2**: I'm _really_ new to 3D printing, so I'll ask a naive question: Why not just print it to the desired curve in the first place? Or, is flexibility the purpose, and the Coke can example was simply a way of saying it needed to be flexible?  
> **username_3**: @username_2 printing flat negates the need for supports and is stronger and faster with zero chance of failure regardless of complexity. So you could print a 5cm high logo on it's edge with a curve, but that is 250 layers and if it was thin would be a problematic and brittle print. Or you could print it flat faster, stronger and cheaper.  
> **username_2**: @username_3 thanks. As I said, possibly a naive question. That mostly makes sense.  
> **username_3**: @username_2 You're welcome, we all have to start somewhere  
> **username_4**: For text such as the Coca Cola label consider a negative image, i.e. a thin, flat, rectangular piece with letter shaped holes.  
> **username_5**: This question makes little sense, each material is different. It takes very little time to print test samples and try. Do that.  
> **username_3**: @username_5 the OP specified PLA  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2022-04-18. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

With PLA you can just heat it to curve around the object. I've done this with up to 2mm. Real easy with 1mm.

I haven't tried thicker but assume it would work ok.

You'd have to glue it though to make it stick. My attempts were just to shape the prints, I didn't want them sticking so I shaped them around a glass bottle.

If you want it flexible in it's own right, then I suggest 2 \* 0.2mm layers. I have a large 2 layer print in front of me that bends easily.

[![2 layers](https://i.sstatic.net/xFUUn.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/xFUUn.jpg)

This can be rolled up into a tube, but as soon as you let go it will return to flat.

1 layer is even more flexible but tears along the lines with a bit of effort. So if you want it really flexible I suggest you print 1 layer at slightly lower than normal nozzle height to really get the lines melded together. Or a bit hotter than normal.

> **Comments:**
> **username_7**: +1 for the heat reference. You'd be able to wrap something approaching 2-3 mm with enough heat. The thicker parts may experience some distortion. Leave a PLA part in a hot summer car and watch how much flexibility results!  
> **username_3**: @username_7 Yeah, I've bent PLA around quite a bit for various reasons, usually to avoid layer line weakness or fasten things together. You can even make quite strong PLA rivets.  
> **username_1**: 2x 0.2 mm layers will flex very nicely, but will crease and crack if you bend them sharper than a certain limit.  
> **username_3**: @username_1 yes, they'll take quite a bit of abuse though, well within the parameters of the question. I use it often enough that I have a sheet lying around so I can cut pieces off it when I need to.  

---

### Answer by username_6 on 2022-04-18. Score: 0

**1 layer, of whatever thickness your device can print.**

I did something like this to print letters for a flat sign. The letters were 1mm thick and didn't bend, but I'd accidentally printed quite a lot of brim lines which were a single layer thick, and they'd merged into each other.

The brim worked superbly as a "net" to hold the letters in place, so in theory you could print as little as one layer thick.

* Nozzle height will have to be exactly right to merge the lines together. There are no lines crossing-over on the next layer to help bond them all together.
* Let the print bed cool to ambient before removing it from the bed, to help keep the lines connected. Could take an hour or so.
* Use a wide flat scraper to pull job off bed - you might want to design in a "tab" that can be damaged while getting the tool started, and trimmed of later.


---

