 3D printing with direct metal deposition and milling can produce complex parts with high surface quality and dimensional accuracy, but residual stress from the process can cause distortion in undercuts and inaccessible areas, leading to significant deviations in length that are 10 times higher than milling accuracy. Strategies to reduce residual stress through process optimization are discussed, and the effects of intermediate and final milling on dimensional accuracy are analyzed for a stainless steel beam. This article was authored by Daniel Eisenbath, Fabian Soffle and Conrad Wegener.