3D metal printing process has attracted increasing attention in recent years due to advantages,such as flexibility and rapid prototyping.This study aims to investigate the orientation effect of electropolishing characteristics on different surfaces of 316L stainless steel fabricated by laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF),consider-ing that the rough surface of 3D printed parts is a key factor limiting its applications in the industry.The electropolish-ing characteristics on the different surfaces corresponding to the building orientation in selective laser melting are studied.Experimental results show that electrolyte tem-perature has critical importance on the electropolishing,especially for the vertical direction to the layering plane.The finish of electropolished surfaces is affected by the defects generated during L-PBF process.Thus,the electropolished vertical surface has higher surface rough-ness Sa than the horizontal surface.The X-ray photoelec-tron spectroscopy spectra show that the electropolished horizontal surface has higher Cr/Fe element ratio than the vertical surface.The electropolished horizontal surface presents higher corrosion resistance than the vertical surface by measuring the anodic polarization curves and fitting the equivalent circuit of experimental electrochemi-cal impedance spectroscopy.