# Printing for Transparency
## Clear Prints
Clear Prints may be extremely fragile and **require special design considerations** but have an aesthetic that can be **hard to mimic** with other materials and fabrication methods.
## Factors which will Influence Transparency
### Infill
Infill is necessary for parts with a roof structure which has internal overhanging elements. Infill density is the primary source of strength for FDM prints. An increased density will result in a stronger part, but will increase the part's opacity. If the part has no overhanging internal elements, it can be printed with 0% infill density.
### Shells and Wall Thicknesses
Shells are the outer layers of a print. Using balanced settings, a print will use two shells. Having two shells allows the printer's mistakes due to under-extrusion to become less noticeable.
The greater the number of shells, the more opaque a print will be, but the cleaner the result.
As the Makerbots use a 0.4 mm nozzle, shells are generally 0.4 mm in thickness. Having air in between these layers of plastic can increase the opacity of a print. If designing purely for transparency, this means that plane objects should be designed at a total thickness of 0.8 mm (see figure 1.2). Students should note that these prints will be extremely fragile and may be difficult to remove from the rafts.
### Extruder Temperature
A slightly hotter extrusion temperature **(217°)** is recommended for getting a more transparent, less yellow colour using natural PLA. The default printing temperature is 215°. Do not recommend going any higher than this temperature.
Students should try **not** to exceed a temperature of 217°C
## Designing for Transparency
You can find our downloadable print settings for transparency in this page.
{% content-ref url="downloadable-print-settings" %}
[downloadable-print-settings](https://ms-kb.msd.unimelb.edu.au/next-lab/3d-printing/key-techniques/downloadable-print-settings)
{% endcontent-ref %}
### Most Transparent: No Infill, One Shell
These settings are most appropriate when strength is not required and students are happy for somewhat rough surface finish
| Feature | Recommended Setting |
| ----------------------------------- | ------------------- |
| Wall Thickness (Design Requirement) | 0.4 mm |
| Shells | 1 Shell |
| Extrusion Temperature | 217° |
| Infill Density | 0% |
| Floor Thickness | Default |
| Roof Thickness \* | Default |
*\* Students need to be aware that if printing with no infill, roofs are only printable over walls. If there are any overhanging horizontal elements, the print will fail.*
### Second-Most Transparent: No Infill, Two Shells
These settings provide a slightly less transparent, but slightly more sturdy, cleaner finish to parts.
| Feature | Recommended Setting |
| ----------------------------------- | ------------------- |
| Wall Thickness (Design Requirement) | 0.4 mm |
| Shells | 2 Shells |
| Extrusion Temperature | 217° |
| Infill Density | 0% |
| Floor Thickness | Default |
| Roof Thickness | *Default* |
*\* Students need to be aware that if printing with no infill, roofs are only printable over walls. If there are any overhanging horizontal elements, the print will fail.*
### Third-Most Transparent: 7% Infill, Two Shells
These settings provide far more sturdy and clean finish to parts, but these parts are the least transparent of all options.
| Feature | Recommended Setting |
| ----------------------------------- | ------------------- |
| Wall Thickness (Design Requirement) | 0.4 mm |
| Shells | 2 Shells |
| Extrusion Temperature | 217° |
| Infill Density | 7% |
| Floor Thickness | Default |
| Roof Thickness | Default |