How to 3D print a cookie cutter
A cookie cutter is one of the easiest and most useful things to 3D print. It is a thin wall that follows an outline, so it prints fast and uses very little plastic. Here is how to get a good one.
1. Start with a bold shape
Simple, chunky outlines cut cleanly and release easily from dough. Thin spikes, tiny gaps and hairline details tear dough and are hard to print. If you are tracing a picture, pick one with a clear outline.
2. Set your printer in the designer
Choose your bed size and nozzle width. A 0.4 mm nozzle cannot print a wall thinner than about 0.8 mm (two lines), so the designer warns you when a wall, line or bridge is too thin. “Make this printable” fixes these for you and lists what it changed.
3. Pick the cutter style
- Standard: a thin cutting edge at the bottom and a thicker wall above it.
- Extra sharp: a finer tip for crisp cuts in firm dough.
- Fondant: a thinner wall for soft fondant.
- Kid-safe: a thick wall with no thin edge.
4. Slice and print
- Print with the flange (the wide lip you press on) on the bed, or with the blade up. Supports are not needed.
- Two or three perimeters and 15 to 20 percent infill are plenty.
- Print a small test cutter first. Defaults are estimates and every printer is slightly different.
5. Use it
Chill the dough, dust the cutter with flour, press straight down and lift. Wash by hand and dry it well. Read the food-safety guide before you bake with printed tools.