Beginner
Troubleshooting

Bed Adhesion Problems Solved

Fix prints that won't stick with leveling, surface prep, and proven techniques

Poor bed adhesion causes 30% of first-time print failures. Most issues resolve with proper leveling, but surface preparation matters too.

The Root Causes

Too high: Nozzle is too far from bed. Filament doesn’t stick because it’s not pressed onto the surface. First layer looks like loose strings.

Too low: Nozzle scrapes the bed. Plastic doesn’t extrude; you hear grinding noises.

Dirty surface: Oil from fingers, dust, or old print residue prevents adhesion.

Wrong bed temperature: Material-specific requirements matter. PLA: 20-60°C. PETG: 70-80°C.

The Paper Test (Quick Leveling)

  1. Heat bed to printing temperature (60°C for PLA)
  2. Heat nozzle to 200°C
  3. Move nozzle to front-left corner
  4. Lower nozzle until it barely touches the bed
  5. Slide a standard piece of paper under the nozzle
  6. Lower nozzle until paper resists pulling but still slides

This gap (0.1mm) is correct bed distance.

Repeat for all four corners. Check the center too. Many beds warp slightly; the center might be 0.2mm lower than corners.

Better: Mesh Leveling (If Supported)

Modern printers can probe the bed surface with a sensor and compensate for warping automatically.

How to enable:

  1. In your slicer, find “Mesh Bed Leveling” or “Bed Leveling” in printer settings
  2. Run the mesh leveling procedure (usually done on the printer via menu)
  3. The printer probes 9-16 points across the bed
  4. Slicer uses this data to adjust nozzle height during printing

This fixes warped beds without manual adjustment.

Surface Preparation

Before every print:

  1. Wipe bed with a dry cloth to remove dust
  2. If previous print left residue, wipe with a slightly damp cloth (not soaking wet)
  3. Let the bed dry completely before printing

Weekly deep clean:

  1. Remove build plate if possible
  2. Use a plastic scraper (not metal) to remove stubborn plastic
  3. Wash with warm soapy water
  4. Dry completely

Monthly renewal:

  1. If using a textured surface (PEI sheet, spring steel), check for damage
  2. If the surface is smooth and slippery, refresh it with light sandpaper (220 grit, gentle)
  3. Wipe away dust with a damp cloth

Surface Options

PEI Sheet ($20-40): Plastic surface adheres well to PLA and PETG. Can be wiped clean repeatedly. Needs replacement every 200+ hours of printing.

Textured Spring Steel ($15-30): Powder-coated magnetic surface. Very good adhesion. Easier to remove prints. Lasts 300+ hours before smoothing.

Smooth Glass Plate ($10-20): Works but requires surface preparation (glue stick, adhesion spray). Harder to remove prints.

Bare Aluminum: Original surface on many budget printers. Low adhesion unless prepared. Consider upgrading to PEI sheet.

Adhesion Aids

Bed temperature tuning:

  • PLA at 20°C: Often doesn’t stick; try 60°C
  • PLA at 60°C: Good adhesion
  • PETG at 70°C: Minimum; try 80°C for stubborn parts
  • Too hot: Bed adhesion improves, but part warps and comes loose mid-print

Glue stick (if surface is bare): Apply a light, even layer of glue stick to the bed before each print. Helps PLA and PETG stick.

Hair spray (old method, still works): Light coat of hairspray provides temporary adhesion. Adds 1-2 prints per application.

Adhesion spray ($10 per can): Designed for 3D printers. More effective than hairspray. Use sparingly.

Common Adhesion Patterns

Corners stick, center lifts: Bed is warped or leveling was off at the center. Use mesh leveling if available.

Entire first layer peels up during print: Nozzle is too high. Level again, aiming for slightly lower pressure.

First layer looks perfect but second layer adhesion fails: Usually temperature drop. Bed cooled below optimal. Check bed temperature sensor.

Wiper scratches the print: Nozzle is too low. Raise Z-offset by 0.05mm.

Z-Offset Adjustment

If leveling is correct but prints still don’t stick:

In slicer: Add Z-offset of -0.05mm (lowers nozzle slightly)

On printer during first layer: Many printers allow live adjustment. Watch the first layer and adjust in real-time. Once dialed in, note the adjustment for future prints.

Bed adhesion seems complicated but boils down to: level correctly, keep the surface clean, and use the right temperature. Get this right and print failures drop dramatically.

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