Overhang Calculator — Maximum Angle Without Supports

The general rule of thumb is that FDM printers can handle overhangs up to 45 degrees from vertical without supports. At 45 degrees, each layer is offset by exactly one layer height from the layer below, giving roughly 50% overlap.

Better cooling solidifies each layer faster before the next layer is deposited, reducing drooping. PLA with 100% fan can often achieve 55-60 degree overhangs. Materials like ABS that need minimal cooling struggle beyond 40 degrees.

Yes. Thinner layers produce better overhangs because each layer steps outward by a smaller distance (the per-layer step is layer height x tan of the overhang angle), so there is more overlap with the layer below and less droop. Dropping from 0.3mm to 0.1mm layers typically buys you a few extra degrees of safe overhang.

Overhang angle is measured from vertical (0 = vertical wall, 90 = horizontal ceiling). Draft angle is measured from horizontal. They are complementary: a 45-degree overhang equals a 45-degree draft. Some slicers use one convention, some the other.