We’re very pleased to announce that we have struck a deal to acquire rigid.ink, and all the excellent content that the rigid.ink team have posted over the years will now be hosted on our site.
Founded in 2014, rigid.ink was known throughout the industry for manufacturing and selling some of the highest-quality 3D printer filament around – and at a time when 3D printing was still in its infancy, and getting ahold of reliable filament was a real struggle.
More recently, rigid.ink stopped selling filament, with the founding team focusing on their 3D printing educational platform, IO3DP. Over the time they operated, they posted excellent content on different aspects of 3D printing, from their ultimate 3D printing troubleshooting guide, to how to unclog your extruder or nozzle, and much more.
We have agreed on a deal to host that excellent on our site, and to keep it updated as changes and advances occur in the industry, as part of our commitment to being the most informative 3D printing site on the web. All the content from the rigid.ink site is available within this section of our site, and you can view all the posts previously on that site below.
Rigid.Ink Content
- PVA Filament: The Complete 3D Printing Guide
Being entirely water soluble, and non-toxic, this compound is used extensivly within almost every facet of modern life… - Top 7 3D Printing Tips for Beginners
3D printing is an amazing technology whose possibilities are only just beginning to be explored by tens of thousands of enthusiasts around the world. If you’re new to 3D printing, it can seem like there’s a veritable mountain of information to … - The Ultimate 3D Printing Glossary
3D printing is an amazing technology that can tend to be confusing at times. A lot of this confusion comes from the numerous technical terms and acronyms that have attached themselves to the process over the years. The aim of this … - How to Untangle a Tangled or Knotted Filament Spool
The dreaded filament spool tangle can be a complete deal breaker to any print, and can seemingly strike at any time. If spools are used or stored incorrectly they can happen with any material, on any sized spool. But fear not … - What is the difference between TPE and TPU Flexible Filament?
This article will clear up the confusion surrounding TPU vs TPE, how they’re best used for printing and take you through the steps to achieving best results. Ironically, flexible filaments don’t have to be hard to print. You want to start using 3D printer … - Advanced Overview to Improve 3D Print Finish Quality [Infographic]One of our biggest gripes about 3D printing is that your finished print invariably ends up looking, well… a bit 3D printed. Sometimes that’s fine, but other times it’s not. Here are our top tips on how to finish 3D prints, condensed …
- How to 3D Print Clear Filament, More Clearly
Clear 3D Printing. It can be a bit of an enigma, the success of your clear prints down to a number of things. In this guide, we’ll take you through which materials can be printed clearly, and cover the steps you can … - HIPS Filament: The Complete HIPS 3D Printing Guide
What do you do when you want to print a more complicated design, one that has overhanging parts that require support or involves a lot of detail? How about a situation where you want to print a prototype, one where painting … - The Complete PETG Filament 3D Printing Guide
In this guide, you’ll learn why PETG filament is fast becoming a favorite. We’ll explain what PETG is, how to 3D print PETG perfectly (and some tips and tricks for the best results!), as well as what it’s used for. Is … - What 3D Printer Nozzle Size Should I Use? – The Pros and Cons
When browsing for your last printer, 3D printer nozzle size may well have been the last thing on your mind. It’s an often overlooked detail. Depending on what you need to print; the wrong setup could be holding you back. In this … - PLA 3D Printing Filament – Everything You Need to Know [2022]
This article is going to give you all the information you need surrounding PLA 3D filament – what it is, what it’s good for, and how to print with it. PLA is very probably the most popular 3D printing filament around. … - 3D Printing in Education & Creating Your Lesson Plan [Step by Step]
In this guide, you’re going to learn why 3D printing is relevant to education and how to make it relevant to your students or children of any age (suitable for elementary and primary). Covering how to get started, including if you … - Top 3 Best Carbon Fiber Filament Companies in 2020
The availability of new, exciting 3D printing materials has increased dramatically in a few short years. Originally, you were confined to just your regular PLA and ABS filaments on any machine costing less than $30,000 or so. Now, you’re able to … - 8 Big Ideas for Small 3D Prints
You’ve received your free sample, or just have a small amount of filament left. But now what, what can you actually print with it? We hear you, you’ve got a busy life and making decisions can be hard – especially when … - What Build Plate Surface Should I Use? We Review The Most Commonly Used
We’ve all been there. You start a print job and right away things begin to go off the rails. The first layer of your print material isn’t properly adhering to the surface of your print bed. As a result, it begins … - Why You Should Try Acrylic PMMA Filament – And How to Print it
Are you looking to expand the horizons of your 3D printing? Do you feel that your usual go-to 3D printing filaments are constricting the creativity of your designs? Maybe you simply need a stronger material that can withstand higher temperatures and … - What is a 3D Printing Raft, Brim or Skirt – Why and How to Use Them
Get the first layer right, every time It’s widely agreed in the 3D printing community that a smooth and correct first layer makes or breaks a print. In most instances, getting that first layer to adhere is 90% of the battle. … - Want to Use ABS in Hot Sun? We Compare ABS vs ASA Filaments
In this article, we’re going to explain the benefits of ASA, what it is, and how it compares to it’s closest alternative, the popular ABS. If you know anything about 3D printing, chances are you’re familiar with ABS filament. It is, … - What To Do With Empty Filament Spools? Here’s Our 6 Top Ideas
Used filament spools can soon pile up if you’re 3D printing quite a bit. And it’s a shame to just discard them (even if they are destined for the recycling bin) – after all, recycling itself uses resources to melt down … - Prints Pillowing, 3D Printer Stringing and Layers Splitting – 3 Worst 3D Printer Problems Resolved
One of the most frustrating aspects of 3D printing is printing defects. We’ve all been there. You’ve got a great design. You’ve sliced it and everything looks good. You start the job, excited to see the results – except the results … - 7 Key 3D Printing Slicer Settings You Need To Know
What is a Slicer? As you may know, a slicer is a piece of 3D printing software that takes a digitized 3D model and converts it into printing instructions that your printer can then use to turn the model into a … - How to Use 3D Printer Cleaning Filament (& What Not to Do)
This article is going to simply explain what 3D printer cleaning filament is. We’ll explain why it could be a time (and in some instances a life) saver for you. Then we’ll cover how best to use it, and what to … - Under Extrusion Problems or Clicking Sounds? Here’s Why and How to Fix it
Has this ever happened to you? You set up a print job to run. Everything starts smoothly and looks good. The material is flowing well. There appears to be adequate adhesion to the print bed and everything seems to be layering … - How to Use 3D Print Infill Settings – Increase Strength, Save Filament
In this article, we explain why you use infill, how to use it and how to decide the right percentage to use – to maximize strength or cost savings. We’ll then cover any troubleshooting with infill related problems and how to compensate … - How To Easily Cold Acetone Vapor Smooth & Finish 3D Prints [Step by Step]
Acetone Polishing (Smoothing) of ABS and ASA – a step-by-step guide FDM (FFF) 3D printers often produce a final object that while being mechanically sound, tends not to have that ‘professional look’ that you or a customer want to see. You … - How to Finish Your 3D Prints – Ultimate Guide to Filling, Priming, Sanding & Painting 3D Printed Parts
Your 3D prints are now coming out great & looking as they should, but then again, they’re still looking like they’re 3D printed. Whether you’re printing for business, want to rescue a not-quite-perfect print, or just need some tips for finishing 3D … - How to Anneal Your 3D Prints for Strength
“Mmm, who loves the smell of freshly baked prints?” * *(Nobody loves the smell of heated plastic; always print and anneal in well-ventilated areas) In this article, we’re going to explain what “3D printer annealing” actually is (hint: it’s not actually annealing), what it’s … - How to Print Overhangs, Bridges (& Exceeding the 45° Rule)
The difference? Bridges on the left, and the right is an increasingly proportionate overhang In this guide, we’ll explain how to defy gravity and pull off those hard-to-print objects without resorting to needing hard-to-remove support structures. Read on to learn our best 3D … - How to Join or Fuse Filament Together
In this article we’ll cover why you may want to fuse filaments together, why you perhaps shouldn’t do it – and we’ll cover our top 3 methods if you really still want to do it anyway. How many times have you finished a 3D print, … - How to Smooth PLA to a Mirror Finish [Step-by-Step]
Need to make your prints look super smooth? Or perhaps you just want rid of those layer lines to make your print look more ‘factory finished’? For any 3D printing materials that can’t be acetone smoothed, this quick guide is for you. … - 3D Prints Warping or Curling? – Why It Happens and How to Prevent It
In this guide, we’re going to cover what causes warping, and how to remedy it. Including tips for specific materials, and how to make sure it doesn’t happen again! If you’ve used a 3D printer, then it’s likely that you’ve experienced … - Clogged Extruder Nozzle? – What Causes It, How to Avoid It, and How to Fix It
In this guide, we break down the common causes of a clogged nozzle, how to unblock it properly, and how to prevent it from happening again in future. Nothing can be more irritating, or more intimidating, than a clogged print nozzle. You’re printing … - How Many Meters of Filament on a Spool? [Filament Calculator]
Use the calculator below to work out how much filament you have left on a spool. Simply weight your remaining spool, and select the material. Our calculator will tell you how much filament is left in grams and length. The table … - How To Dry Your Wet Filament (& Keep It That Way!)
Are you getting a slightly rough surface on your prints, or even crackling or popping during printing? If so, it’s likely your filament is a little damp. Don’t worry, in this article we’ll explain why this happens, how to dry out … - The Ultimate 3D Print Quality Troubleshooting Guide 2022
You’re here because you’ve either just had a complete 3D print failure, or your prints aren’t quite perfect. We don’t settle for less than perfect, so we don’t expect you to either. Wondering why your 3D print failed? Rest assured, the …
