> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://wiki.polymaker.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://wiki.polymaker.com/printing-tips/material-science/overhangs.md).

# Overhangs

Although it is recommended to use support for overhang angle, it usually saves time and material to being able to print high quality overhang surfaces.

The challenge when printing overhang surfaces is the amount of actual unsupported area. As you can see below the same angle can give different unsupported area depending on the layer height. It can appear that the smaller the unsupported area the better, however the smaller the layer height the less rigid the unsupported area will be. It will always be a balance between rigidity and amount of unsupported area.

Different factor can affect the overhang surfaces. As represented on the graphic below two main forces will be applied on the unsupported area: its weight (F1) and the polymer stress (F2).

![](https://attachments.gorgias.help/vo0l5/hc/g8y3/overhangs-0b2e1f9e-6905-4636-9eff-6a39bdcf5c02.png)

The main factors affecting theses forces is summarized above, however generally speaking the best overhang surfaces will be given with a high layer height (more rigidity), low printing speed (more consistent extrusion) and high extrusion rate (more consistent extrusion).


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters:

```
GET https://wiki.polymaker.com/printing-tips/material-science/overhangs.md?ask=<question>&goal=<user_goal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.