Printing on acrylic Has anyone tried printing PLA directly on an acrylic surface? I've been doing so for the past few weeks and I gotta say, I'm hooked. The parts can be a bit harder to get off compared to blue tape, but the surface finish and lack of any warp rival what a heated platform can get you. No pictures now, but I can post some later today. https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,125973,125973#msg-125973 Tue, 15 Sep 2026 08:18:21 -0400 Phorum 5.2.23 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,125973,700123#msg-700123 Re: Printing on acrylic https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,125973,700123#msg-700123
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Pointedstick
The parts are a bit more difficult to remove than it is from tape, and a metal spatula or paint scraper is often needed. Once you have a bit of leverage under a corner, the whole part will often pop off just like with tape though. And IMHO the rewards are evident:





That's with no heated bed and no consumable tape.

Here's a shot of a MendelMax starting a plate of other MendelMax parts on an acrylic surface:


how thick is your sheet? I'm about to get one for a large printer myself, 500mm x 500mm, and I think I go with 3mm thick and attach it to a glass to keep it flat
]]> deaconfrost Printing Mon, 15 Aug 2016 07:21:28 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,125973,133933#msg-133933 Re: Printing on acrylic https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,125973,133933#msg-133933 GITRDUN Printing Mon, 21 May 2012 21:38:29 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,125973,126402#msg-126402 Re: Printing on acrylic https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,125973,126402#msg-126402
Anxious to see and hear more results!]]> mydogjustice Printing Wed, 28 Mar 2012 19:12:42 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,125973,126129#msg-126129 Re: Printing on acrylic https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,125973,126129#msg-126129 -------------------------------------------------------
> I have tried printing on blue tape on acrylic and
> everywhere the head sat it warped the acrylic. Are
> you having any issues?


The hot nozzle will easily melt a hole in the acrylic if you let it sit there forever, so what I did was drill a hole in the plate where the nozzle homes to. This also lets me extrude a bit and instantly start printing since the strand falls through the hole. I haven't found the plate itself to meaningfully warp, and mine is very flat.]]> Pointedstick Printing Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:05:50 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,125973,126116#msg-126116 Re: Printing on acrylic https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,125973,126116#msg-126116
The few times that I have managed to stick pla to the acrylic, it has become almost impossible to remove, and generally the acrylic has been distorted as well. What settings are you using to make it stick?]]> Lsutehall Printing Tue, 27 Mar 2012 08:37:01 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,125973,126067#msg-126067 Re: Printing on acrylic https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,125973,126067#msg-126067 Sublime Printing Tue, 27 Mar 2012 01:56:41 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,125973,126063#msg-126063 Re: Printing on acrylic https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,125973,126063#msg-126063




That's with no heated bed and no consumable tape.

Here's a shot of a MendelMax starting a plate of other MendelMax parts on an acrylic surface:


]]> Pointedstick Printing Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:55:41 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,125973,126060#msg-126060 Re: Printing on acrylic https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,125973,126060#msg-126060 Mkouri Printing Mon, 26 Mar 2012 23:31:20 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,125973,125973#msg-125973 Printing on acrylic https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,125973,125973#msg-125973 Pointedstick Printing Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:34:30 -0400