What infill percentage should I use?

10-15% for decorative items, 20-25% for general use, 40-60% for functional parts that need strength, 80-100% for maximum strength or watertight parts.

Which infill pattern is strongest?

Gyroid and cubic infill provide the best all-round (near-isotropic) strength. Triangles are strong in one axis. Grid is fast but weaker diagonally. Lightning is the lightest pattern — it only braces the top surfaces and typically uses 50-70% less material than grid at the same nominal density, so it is for decorative parts, not load-bearing ones.

Does doubling infill double the strength?

No. Strength increases with infill but with diminishing returns. Going from 20% to 40% might increase strength by 30-50%, not 100%. Adding more perimeters is often more effective.

3DPrintCalcs

Infill Calculator — Material Usage by Infill %

Estimate material usage and weight for different infill percentages and patterns.

Model Volume

Volume or dimensions of the 3D model

Infill Percentage

Percentage of solid fill inside the print

Material Density

Infill Pattern

How We Calculate This

Calculation

Shell weight = Volume x Density x Shell fraction (15%)
Infill weight = Volume x (1 - Shell fraction) x (Infill% / 100) x Pattern multiplier x Density
Total weight = Shell + Infill weight

Pattern multipliers reflect how much material each pattern lays down for the same nominal infill percentage relative to grid/lines (1.0x): gyroid and cubic deposit a little more (~1.15-1.2x), while lightning deposits far less (~0.45x) because it only braces the top surfaces. The interior fill fraction is capped at 100% so the result is never heavier than a solid part. These multipliers are advisory approximations — your slicer's exact figure depends on line width and geometry.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Last updated: February 2026

All calculations are estimates. Always verify settings with test prints before committing to final prints.