A lesson about slicers: A problem and solution

The Problem

From my work, I have noticed that the slicer you use is of the utmost importance. Having looked at my initial prints, they both had different-sized holes from the same file. After investing in this, my thoughts landed on the different slicers. But first, with this, what is a slicer?_______________________________________________________

Slicers: From my experience

Slicer: A program that converts a 3D model file to instructions for the printer to carry out. This also allows you to change printing speed, temperature and many more settings.

Over my 3D printing journey, I have used many different slicers. With multiple different slicers to choose from, it has led me to experiment and favor some over others. The main three I have used are Cura, Prusa, and Creality, each with their own merits and drawbacks.

Cura: 

Cura Slicer is one that many start with, as it has a user-friendly UI and is very easy to use. The downside to this one, however, is that I have experienced multiple bugs while using it. Mainly, the worst one has to be generating supports on top of the item. 

Creality:

Creality Slicer, just like Cura, is user-friendly and easy to get into. I have used it multiple times to get great results. I have not yet experienced any bugs, but I am on the lookout in case there are.

Prusa: 

Prusa slicer, though originally only made with Prussa printers in mind, can be used for Creality printers. The UI is more condensed and less user-friendly. However, the amount of customization is considerably greater and would be great if you wanted to push your printer to its limits.

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The solution

After looking at my prints I concluded that the variation was due to the different slicers. Though the file was the same, the rounding and how they print each layer are different depending on the slicer. As well as this, the defaults on slicers differ from slicer to slicer.

Then, looking at my print history, I saw that my original washers were printed using the Cura slicer.

With all of this said, though slicers may appear the same not all give the same output.