Printing textured vases without supports
A vase prints cleanly with no supports when every curve leans out by 45° or less and the bottom is flat. All 125 models in our Vaze collection follow that rule, and the photos below are real prints straight off the printer.
Why 45° is the magic number
Each layer is laid on top of the one below. A wall that leans out a little rests mostly on the layer beneath it. Past about 45° from upright, half of each line hangs in the air and starts to droop. So a vase can swell into a round belly and narrow into a slim neck, as long as no part of it flares out faster than that. A flat base gives the first layer something to grip.
Raised textures follow the same rule. A bump that sticks straight out sideways has a flat underside, which sags. Rounded or sloped shapes, like stones, scales and knurls, print cleanly.
Settings that work
| Setting | Value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Filament | PLA or PETG | PLA is easiest. Silk PLA shows textures best because light catches every ridge. |
| Layer height | 0.2 mm | Fine enough for the patterns; 0.12–0.16 mm looks smoother but takes longer. |
| Walls | 3 | A solid shell that hides the infill and survives being knocked over. |
| Infill | 15% | Only the floor and thick details use it. |
| Supports | Off | Not needed when the 45° rule holds. |
Weight depends far more on the texture than the shape. Our Vaze Tall Vase uses about 77 g of PLA in the Smooth finish and up to 268 g for the deepest patterns.
Five shapes, 25 finishes
- Tall Vase — 150 mm tall, about 74 mm across, for a single stem, dried flowers or pens.
- Gourd Vase — 150 mm tall, a round belly and a slim neck with a flared rim.
- Bottle — 100 mm tall and about 104 mm across: short and wide.
- Dish — 30 mm tall, about 114 mm across, for keys and rings.
- Footed Bowl — a 150 mm bowl on three short legs that print separately and push in.
Will it hold water?
A printed vase is great for dried flowers and stems as it is. For fresh flowers, put a small glass or a test tube inside. Water can seep slowly through tiny gaps between layers, and a sealed print is not food-safe.
Worked example: how much filament?
The finish changes the weight far more than the shape. These are the PLA weights of our Vaze models, from the lightest finish (Smooth) to the heaviest:
| Shape | Size | PLA, lightest to heaviest finish |
|---|---|---|
| Dish | 30 mm tall, 114 mm across | 40–107 g |
| Gourd Vase | 150 mm tall, 90 mm across | 67–289 g |
| Tall Vase | 150 mm tall, 74 mm across | 77–268 g |
| Bottle | 100 mm tall, 104 mm across | 82–287 g |
| Footed Bowl | 25 mm bowl, 150 mm across | 83–165 g, plus the 3 legs |
So a 1 kg spool makes about three of the heaviest vases, or a dozen smooth ones.
Common questions
Can I print it in spiral vase mode? You can, but we don't recommend it. Vase mode prints a single line with no top layers, so the wall is fragile and the deeper textures lose their crispness. Three normal walls look better and survive a knock.
The tall vase wobbles off the plate halfway up. Why? Its foot is small for its height. Add a 5 mm brim in your slicer, or slow the outer wall a little.
Why are there thin strings between the raised bumps? That is stringing: the nozzle oozes as it travels. Dry the filament, and turn on or increase retraction. PETG strings more than PLA.
Which finishes take the most filament and time? Spiral, Reeded, Swirl and Fluted: their ribs are solid plastic, so they weigh up to three times as much as Smooth. Smooth and the Slot patterns are the lightest and quickest, which makes them good first prints.
Make your own
Every Vaze model opens in the SO3D generator. Anyone can change its height and width and download a fresh STL or 3MF; reshaping the belly and neck or swapping the texture is part of the Hobbyist plan. Browse the Vaze collection and press Customize on any model.
Try it yourself — free, in your browser.
Open the generator