The influence of four different materials (glass, stainless steel, polytetrafluoroethylene PTFE and polyamide) used as a paste drying support on the detachment conditions of dried maltodextrin films was investigated. The tests were accomplished in a drying chamber that allows the spreading of a uniform film of pastelike material over solid plates and the visual observation of the instant of the detachment from the surface. The chamber temperature and the water content of the dried film were compared with the corresponding glass transition temperature curve. The effect of the material roughness on the detachment of the dried maltoclextrin film was evaluated comparing glass plates with two different surfaces (smooth and sand-blasted glass). Results indicate that the higher the surface roughness, the drier should the film be, in order to promote self-detachment at the same temperature conditions. The chemical and physical interactions between the support material and the dried film also influence the process. The PTFE support required less severe detachment conditions than solids with lower surface roughness.5910498503