Drooping overhangs and edges curling upward

Likely causes

In order: the most frequent cause comes first.

1. 01An overhang angle beyond what the material can hold unsupported
2. 02Insufficient cooling: the bead does not solidify before it droops
3. 03Speed too high on the overhang or bridge section
4. 04Nozzle temperature too high
5. 05A part orientation that creates unnecessary overhangs

How to fix it

Apply one fix at a time and reprint the same test part. Changing three settings at once tells you nothing about which one worked.

1. 01

   Reorient the part before adding supports

   Easy

   Rotating the model 45 or 90 degrees often removes the problem overhangs entirely, and always gives a better finish than propping them up: a support leaves a mark on whatever surface it touched. It is worth two minutes trying orientations in the slicer before you slice.

2. 02

   Raise cooling and lower speed on overhangs

   Easy

   Slicers let you set specific speed and fan values for overhangs and bridges. Drop bridging speed to around 20–30 mm/s and raise the fan to the maximum the material allows. Prusa states this explicitly for ASA: 30 % cooling or more to improve overhangs and bridges.

3. 03

   Use tree supports only where they are needed

   Medium

   If impossible overhangs remain after reorienting, use tree supports, which touch less surface and come off more easily than grid ones. Set the angle threshold to 50 or 55 degrees instead of 45 so you do not generate supports where none are needed.

4. 04

   Redesign horizontal holes as teardrops

   Medium

   A round horizontal hole always has a 90-degree overhang at the top. If the part is yours, give it a teardrop shape or add a chamfer at the top: it prints without supports and comes out clean. It is a design trick, not a slicing one.

How to prevent it

• —Design with print orientation in mind: chamfers and teardrops instead of overhangs
• —Keep a profile with reduced bridging speed
• —Check the part cooling fan and duct before a print with many overhangs
• —Try two orientations and compare before printing the final part

Sources

1. [1]Poor bridging | Prusa Knowledge BasePrusa Research · Manufacturer · accessed July 27, 2026