Abstract: A component is produced by depositing at least one material in the form of droplets. The droplets are arranged next to and/or on top of each other in layers, where the surface is smoothed after the deposition of individual droplets with a laser beam so that material is removed at elevations and/or the viscosity and/or the surface tension of the respective material is reduced in the area around depressions with the laser beam so that a flow for at least partial filling of depressions is achieved to reduce surface roughness. A locally defined material removal can be carried out alone or in addition to this to set surface properties or form structures whose dimensions are below the resolution capacity of the additive process, as the deposited droplets have a larger diameter, and then curing, melting, debinding and/or sintering is carried out to complete the respective component.